Empty Threats and Broken Promises
by StoryPainter
Summary: Bella moves to Forks the summer before her junior year. She meets a pretty boy in the hall but refuses to fall for his charms. To escape a romance gone wrong, Bella throws herself into pretty boy's arms. But can he convince her to take a chance on him?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know, I know! I really shouldn't be posting a new story when I have been horrible about updating my current WIPs. This one is just a fun little story that won't leave me alone. I've already got a got bit written and plan on updating at least one a week. My other stories are still very important to me and will continue to be updated as regularly as possible. Consider this a gift for your patience :-)**

**Disclaimer: **I make no claims to anything related to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just having fun with the characters she created.**  
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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Summer break had been interesting to say the least. I hoped some of the friends and acquaintances that I'd made over the last few months would offer a little relief from the stress I was under from starting my junior year at a new high school. Mom wanted me to get the chance to know my dad again. I'm sure that didn't have anything to do with the fact she had recently remarried a younger guy who traveled a lot or her desire to travel with him. Not that I minded. Charlie had always been a great dad. I just wished he lived somewhere that saw the sun more than twice a year. The small town had exceeded my low expectations, though, and I was kind of looking forward to the next two years. With one exception, I really liked all the people I'd met since moving there from Phoenix two months earlier.

The halls were still pretty empty. It was a little early to be at school; classes didn't start for another forty-five minutes or so, but I wanted to get my schedule and try to find my classes without prying eyes. Luckily, the campus looked pretty small, so I didn't think I'd have too many problems there. The lady at the front desk seemed nice enough, but I wasn't thrilled about having to get some form signed by each of my teachers that had to be returned at the end of the day. I found my locker easily enough and made my way to first period.

I glanced outside and realized there still weren't that many cars in the student parking lot. I checked my watch and realized I still had about thirty minutes to kill. I'd already figured out where all my classes were, thanks mostly to the large letters outside each of the three main buildings, and was certain I could find them again without issue.

"Hi, there, beautiful." I heard someone say behind me but didn't bother turning around. There was no way he was talking to me anyway. A few moments later, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around a little, startled. I hadn't noticed anyone approaching. "Sorry, kitten, didn't mean to scare you."

The voice was nice but the rest of the package was even better. I looked up into dark green eyes that belonged to the most handsome man I had ever seen. Those eyes looked down at me like I was a tall drink of water and he'd been living in the desert for years. I gulped. Audibly. He chuckled. I blushed. Yeah, it was like that. Not that I was stupid. His smirk was certainly capable of luring in girl after girl, and I'd learned my lesson with boys around here already, thank you very much. Not planning on making that mistake twice. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Yeah, that was so not going to happen, again. I was not falling for his staggering good looks and well practiced lines.

"Why don't we just save ourselves a little time here? I'm not interested and nothing you can say or do is going to change that. Do us both a favor and go sell you charms somewhere else, m'kay?" I learned sass from the best. My mom was the queen. Eventually, she found someone willing to put up with it. She'd only had to wait thirty six years.

"Wow, you're a feisty one, aren't ya, doll."

"When do you give up? After you've called your poor victim four of those little cutsie nicknames? Well, that was three, so why don't you go ahead and use the last one to say goodbye?"

"I think I'm in love," he said as he pretended to swoon. Oh, jeebers. Was this guy serious?

"Does that really work for you?" I was kind of curious if this stuff ever actually worked for him.

"I usually don't have to work this hard to get a girl's attention," he replied with a laugh. When he ran his hand through his hair, I realized he was truly nervous. Despite his tough guy exterior, his eyes gave away his insecurity.

I didn't have much time to contemplate this further, however, because I spotted a head of familiar blond hair making its way toward us. I had to get the heck out of Dodge and fast.

"Shit," I muttered as I looked around for an escape route.

After trying to follow my line of sight, hot dude looked at me in confusion. Just as he started to ask what the heck my problem was, I pulled him to me and kissed him as if my life depended on it. At that moment, I really felt like it might.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Well, at least I got out of one awkward situation. Of course, by doing so, I fell right into another. Maybe I really was losing my mind. As I shyly looked up at the guy I'd just met and proceeded to molest in the hallway, I couldn't stop the blush from creeping up my face. What a great first impression. First, I practically yell at the dude for using some lame ass pick up lines; second, I grabbed and kissed him without even checking to make sure he was okay with it. Unfortunately, he was just standing there gawking at me like I had three heads or something. _Come on, pretty boy, say something! _Maybe I stunned him to death. That would be my luck.

"Um, yeah, so, I'm sorry about that. Thanks, though, you just helped me avoid having to deal with someone that I really didn't want to, and I'll be forever in your debt for that." I rambled, hoping he would snap out of his trance. _Great job, Swan, you killed him._ It was just a kiss. I couldn't have been that bad at it, right? His reaction really wasn't helping my ego.

Finally, he shook his head as if trying to clear it or something and smiled down at me. Thank goodness. At least I didn't have to worry about murder charges this early in the morning.

"Wow, and here I thought my best moves weren't doing anything for you," he responded with a cocky smirk in place.

"Look, don't go thinking this has anything to do with whatever 'moves' you were trying just now. I needed to keep someone from noticing me and that's all that kiss was about. Trust me, it won't happen again." I turned to leave without so much as a backward glance.

Thanks to that little encounter, and the subsequent desperate attempt at an explanation for my weird behavior, I was almost late for class. I'd never been tardy a day in my life, and I certainly didn't plan on starting off at my new school on the wrong foot. Walking over to the teacher's desk, I could practically feel everyone in the classroom staring at me. I hated being the center of attention. Using my long hair as a shield, I pulled it over my shoulder and blocked my face from the curious eyes.

"Ah, Isabella Swan, it's nice to finally meet you. Your father has been excited about you coming to live in our fine town," the teacher, Mrs. Fopps according to my schedule, rattled off as she reviewed and signed the slip of paper I handed to her.

"Please, call me Bella," I requested, trying not to let my irritation come through in my tone. No one called me Isabella unless I was in trouble, so I hated to hear my full name.

"Of course, Bella, here you go." She handed back the now signed form and smiled brightly at me. "Please take a seat anywhere. I like to wait a week or two before assigning spots." She waved her hand toward the desks behind me.

By this point, there were only a few seats that weren't already occupied. I made my way to the empty seat that was closest to the back of the room and the door. I liked to know I could get out of a room easily if there were some kind of nuclear disaster or something that required me to get out of there fast. When obnoxious boy from that morning walked in, I seriously considered taking advantage of my proximity to the door. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice me and walked to the middle of the room before sitting down next to a blonde bombshell. She was my polar opposite in every way. I tried not to let that bruise my fragile ego too much.

Mrs. Fopps began class, and I was grateful for the distraction. By the time the bell rang, I was on the edge of my seat ready to bolt. Pretty boy was getting into my head. That was not a good thing, especially considering how cozy he and the leggy blonde seemed to be.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: The Twilight universe was created by SM, not harm intended here...<strong>

**A/N: **So, this story is kind of taking over my head and leaving little room for my other characters to get their two cents in, thus making it difficult to get my other stories updated. The good news is that I have almost completed the next chapters of Tattoo Dreams and Without Disappointment. I just have to find time to get them update ready. I also beta and I have several chapters waiting in my in box so those have to take priority for the moment. After those are cleared out, I will find a way to get my other stories updated. This one has a three chapter buffer going as of posting, and I'm about to add to that right now. I'm thinking this one will be around fifteen chapters but don't hold me to it. Sometimes, these things take on a mind of their own and ignore my input completely.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read what comes out of my head. I swear it's scary in there with all these characters talking incessantly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The next two classes passed without any drama. There had been no more sightings of the one person I wanted avoid at all cost, and I hadn't seen pretty boy again either. I tried not to be disappointed about the latter. He wasn't someone I needed to be socializing with or thinking about anyway. He obviously had his hands full as it was. That girl from our first class looked like she was probably high maintenance. Besides, I didn't want to make any enemies on my first day of school. If she thought I was moving in on her man, she might tell me to meet her in the parking lot after school or something. My dad may have tried to teach me some self-defense moves, but he wasn't very successful. He'd ended the lessons by handing me a can of pepper spray and telling me to stay out of harm's way. Sure, Dad, no problem.

Was the thumb supposed to be tucked or untucked when throwing a punch? Hell, I couldn't remember.

At least I didn't have to sit alone during lunch. One of the girls I'd met over the summer, Angela, asked me to join her and her friends at their table. I was relieved. Until I sat down. Within seconds, a slightly chubby arm was draped over the back of my chair and an all too familiar boy-faced guy was breathing heavily in my face. Despite my discomfort, I refrained from shoving his arm away. Mike had made his interest known over the summer, but I had ignored his advances because he'd had a girlfriend. Apparently, that was no longer the case because said girlfriend was currently sitting at the other end of the table openly flirting with another guy. Mike didn't even seem fazed.

Just as I was starting to relax a little, pretty boy decided to strut through the cafeteria doors. He threw them wide open as if he wanted to make sure everyone noticed his entrance. I rolled my eyes. The girls around me, however, turned their gazes in his direction. I looked around to find most of the females, and even some of the males, openly ogling the boy. It was disgusting. Sure, he was beautiful, but he sorely lacked in the personality department. I hoped my classmates weren't truly dumb enough to believe the shit he spewed.

"Hey, Bella, we're all going to First Beach this Saturday. Want to join us?" Mike asked, drawing my attention away from the spectacle unfolding before me.

"Um, who all is going?" I had to make sure one certain person wouldn't be there. No way was I going to knowingly throw myself into an uncomfortable situation.

"Oh, just all of us here at the table, and I'm sure we'll meet up with a few of the kids from the rez. I don't plan on inviting anyone else," he answered, and I was pretty sure he knew exactly why I was hesitant.

The thought of getting to see the friends I'd made on the reservation, as well as the ones from school, actually was somewhat appealing. Plus, my mom was being really pushy about me having a social life and enjoying my last two years of high school. She worried I would let the experience pass me by without taking the time to truly enjoy all the thrills my awkward teen years had to offer. I already had more friends in Forks than I'd ever had in Phoenix. I wished she would back off a little. Maybe knowing I was planning a trip to the beach with friends would get her to relax for a little while.

"OK, I'm in." I tried not to outwardly cringe as I agreed.

About a second later, I heard a weird growling sound. When I turned to find out what the heck that noise was, I was met with a furious set of green eyes. Pretty boy was not happy. I really couldn't figure out what had crawled up his ass. Blondie wasn't around, so maybe that was what had his underwear all in a twist. I decided to ignore him. Obviously, I just happened to be in his line of sight when whatever happened to trigger his anger.

Mike and the rest of the guys started talking about all the stuff they wanted to do when we went to the beach. The girls began asking me all about the "tan hotties" they believed must be all over sunny Phoenix. I just went with it and described as much as I could about the area. Of course, one of them, Lauren Mallory, had to point out that I lacked the golden complexion they would expect someone who lived in Arizona to have. I just shrugged and said the guys there liked the pale skinned brunettes because the tanned blondes were a dime a dozen. She didn't really seem to like that comment too much. I wasn't surprised, considering it described her to a T. I tried not to laugh at her indignation.

"Don't worry, Lauren, I'm sure you'll eventually find a guy desperate enough to choose you," a male voice spoke from behind me. Wow, even I wouldn't be that blunt.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>SM owns her characters and original plot. I make no money from her ideas...

**A/N: **Well, Bella may not be able to avoid this guy for long, huh? Pretty boy sure does seem determined to get her to notice him.

Hey! I posted on time. It's amazing. I'm still several chapters ahead on this one. They just need to be proofread, so this trend should continue. These kids are fun to write about and have lots to say, apparently, because they won't shut up long enough for the characters of my other stories to talk to me. Although, I am making lots of progress on those too. Even Tattoo Dreams should be updating in a week or two.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The cafeteria was eerily quiet after pretty boy's insult. If Lauren's expression was any indication, she wasn't used to anyone speaking to her in such a manner. I was surprised when she simply got up and stormed off rather than confront him. Even though I didn't like the girl, I still didn't like seeing her treated that way.

"Wow, you really do know how to charm the ladies, don't ya?" I stated without even bothering to turn my head in his direction.

"What? She was talking shit about you. I didn't like it. You should be thanking me, beautiful," he responded with seeming sincerity. It really was too bad I couldn't remember how to throw a proper punch. With my luck, I'd end up with a broken thumb and pretty boy wouldn't even feel it.

"Thank you? You are delusional," I told him as I finally moved so I was facing him. The scraping of my chair against the linoleum seemed awfully loud. I glanced up to find everyone looking at us with wide eyes. My cheeks heated, and I knew a blush was covering my cheeks. I really hated being the center of attention.

Thankfully, the bell rang, saving me from further embarrassment - for the moment, at least. This was going to be a long two years if pretty boy was going to continue trying to get into my good graces. As I picked up my bag to make my escape, I noticed the blonde from earlier glaring in my direction. Yep, I was having an awesome first day. I shoved past pretty boy and made my way to my next class as fast as my clumsy feet would take me. The last thing I needed was to fall down on the way there. I kept my eyes on the sidewalk, unwilling to meet the gazes of my classmates. I could literally feel them as if they were burning holes into my skin. I wondered if the school on the La Push reservation would let me attend classes there. Probably not, considering I didn't have an ounce of Native American blood. One could hope, though. I made a mental note to ask my dad about it when he got home that evening.

Unfortunately, my bad luck followed me to class. Once I met my Biology teacher, I was directed to the only empty seat. It was right next to pretty boy. Hooray. I carefully made my way toward my assigned seat. There were backpacks littering the aisles making the cluttered path perilous for my two left feet. When I finally reached the table, Mr. Banner was calling the class to order. At least I didn't have to talk to pretty boy…yet. One of the first things Mr. Banner told us was that our current table-mate would be our lab partner for the entire year. Crap! I failed to contain the disgruntled sigh that came with the knowledge that I'd be forced to work with pretty boy.

"Nice to know you're excited about getting to spend more time with me."

"Can you blame me? It's not like you had people running over each other at the chance, so I must not be the only one with such a high opinion of you," I responded rather snarkily. I wondered where all this courage came from when it came to retorting to pretty boy's every utterance.

"If you must know, I intimidate them." His words made me wary. I thought back to how the other students reacted in the cafeteria when he spoke so harshly to Lauren and how surprised they all seemed when he continued to talk to me. Maybe pretty boy was a bully. My dad taught me to stand up to bullies and not let them push me around. Not that there was much I could do to deter them, but I certainly wasn't going to just sit there and take it either. I began subtly rummaging around in my bag for my pepper spray.

"I'm sure you do. How did you get such a stellar reputation? Did you find the biggest guy in school and beat him to a pulp?" Apparently, I had a death wish. He, however, surprised the heck out of me by laughing, which gained the attention of the teacher who instructed him to be quiet.

Mr. Banner began checking attendance, forcing us to stop talking for the moment. I was happy for the interruption. I hadn't liked where our conversation was heading. One of the first names he called was Edward Cullen, and pretty boy raised his hand while saying "here". Finally, I had a name to go with his face. Maybe I would keep referring to him as pretty boy in my head, though. It made him seem less real and, therefore, less threatening. I needed to keep a level head around this guy. My name was skipped since I probably wasn't on his attendance sheet yet, and I'd already checked in with him. Knowing his name made me feel like I had some sort of advantage over pretty boy, and I liked it.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>We all know Stephenie Meyer owns it all. I just like letting her characters play in my imagination. No harm intended here.

**A/N: **Wow, I'm honestly surprised I got this updated on time! My brother got married over the weekend and it was a destination wedding so I was MIA for a few days. Luckily, I'm still a chapter ahead on this one. So, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with the Wednesday posting schedule. Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to them :-( I do read and cherish them, though so keep 'em coming!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Using my newfound wisdom, I began calling pretty boy by his name at every opportunity. I liked the scowl that appeared on his face when I refused to give him my name. He hounded me for the rest of the hour in an attempt to pry it from my pursed lips.

"Come on, gorgeous, you know you want to tell me," he continued after the teacher finished his lesson for the day. Somehow, I had to make it through another ten minutes of his begging and not give in to it.

"Aw, Edward, you don't really want to know my name. If you did, you couldn't call me any of those pet names you seem so fond of," I replied with a false sweetness while mentally patting myself on the back.

"Even after you tell me your name, I'll still find reasons to call you beautiful," he whispered as he leaned in way too close.

"Sheesh, you really don't realize how cheesy you are, do you? I almost feel sorry for you." I was on a roll. Edward didn't seem to appreciate my awesome comebacks, though, and changed tactics.

"I seem to remember something about you owing me for allowing you to kiss me this morning. I think the least you can do to make it up to me is to take me out to dinner Friday night," he stated, looking completely serious.

Shit. He had me there, though, and the smirk on his face told me he knew it. How on earth was I going to wiggle my way out of this one? Crappola, I was in over my head with pretty boy. No way could I let him know that, however, so I needed to think fast.

"I was under duress when I said that!" It was worth a try. The damsel in distress thing usually worked, right?

"Oh, and you still owe me an explanation as to why you're avoiding James like he has the plague." Damn, pretty boy was more perceptive than I'd originally believed.

"That is none of your business, Edward. I'd rather go on a date with you than explain that situation." The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. I imagined my eyes were wide enough that I could have been mistaken for a lemur. I half-expected that Jack Hanna dude to burst into the room and carry me away. Not that the idea of escaping was a bad one.

"A date it is then. I'll pick you up at seven on Friday." Edward stood up, seemingly pleased with himself, and walked away. It took me a good thirty seconds to realize class was over.

The rest of the day passed by easily enough, except my last class, Physical Education. To my horror, I not only had to participate beginning day one, I had to play a very dangerous game. Tennis means flying yellow missiles of death and large metal rackets of doom. By the end of the hour, I think the coach was trying to figure out how to avoid having me in his class for the rest of the year. Poor guy looked terrified at the thought of having me around for such a long time. He may have even been considering changing careers by the time he blew the whistle, ending class. I'd managed to whack Mike in the back of the head and get pummeled by a ball. Those things look small, but they really are quite deadly. Not to mention the damage I inflicted the few times I actually managed to connect my racket with the ball.

"You have a round red spot on your head." Edward pointed out as he walked up to me in the parking lot after school.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. I had no idea," I deadpanned.

Edward laughed. I really wanted to hit him. Mentally, I made a note to ask my dad to show me a few more of those defense moves. This time, I at least had a goal to work toward, so maybe I would be better at it. He kept telling me the movements were designed to be easy yet affective. Certainly, I could master one of them. It would be worth any effort to see that smug look wiped right off Edward's face. I'd also need to start writing these mental notes down if I came up with any more.

"What happened? If someone did that on purpose, I swear I'll," he started ranting, and I cut him off by putting my hand over his mouth.

"Obviously, you know nothing about me. Because, if you did, you would know I'm the world's biggest klutz. I have my own page in the Guinness World Records book and everything. So, don't get your hopes up, Edward, I don't need a knight in shining armor to rescue me today."

He had the audacity to put his arm around me as we walked. I shrugged it off as fast as I could but not nearly fast enough. Blondie was standing next to a nice silver car, and I swear she had daggers shooting out of her eyes. My day just kept getting better.

"Great, your girlfriend is watching us, and if looks could kill, I'd be a dead girl already. Why can't you just leave me alone? I've got enough crazy in my life without you adding yours!" I'd never really yelled at anyone before, and I was shocked that I had done so, but it felt good. Like really fucking great, actually.

"She's not my girlfriend," Edward huffed out before storming off toward the car where Blondie was waiting for him.

Yeah, right, and I'm really a redhead.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Stephenie Meyer owns the original characters and storyline. I mean no disrespect here.

**A/N: **I almost didn't get this up today! My computer is being a pain and doesn't want to charge or stay charged. Gotta love technology.

Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. I'm having a great time writing it and getting to know these two a little better. It started out as a way to help me get over a horrible case of writer's block and then just took off from there. I hope you all are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it :-)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When I got home, I started riffling through the cabinets, trying to find something to make for dinner. I really needed something to take my mind off pretty boy. We didn't have much, so I opted to go the store. My dad had given me money the day before to make a grocery run, but I'd been too stressed about my first day of school, so it had completely slipped my mind. No time like the present. I grabbed the cash and made my way back out to my truck.

The one grocery store in town was about five minutes from home, so I figured I had plenty of time to get there, shop, and make it back to get dinner ready before Dad got home. Since moving in with him, I discovered my dad was a horrible cook. Put the man in front of a grill, and he'd give you perfection. Leave him alone in a kitchen and you were just asking for trouble.

Unfortunately, running a household was nothing new for me. My mom had handed over the reins to our home when I was about ten years old. She knew I would do a better job than her, and I assured her that I wanted to do it. It was mostly true. I was sick of our electricity or water getting turned off because she'd forgotten to pay a bill or two. She wasn't exactly a great cook either, so I was happy to take over all aspects of homemaking. Luckily, I was able to do a decent job in the kitchen without being taught. Initially, I found recipes to use, but eventually, I started coming up with my own ideas as well. In seventh grade, I even took Home Economics as one of my electives.

Dad had insisted that I didn't need to do everything around the house, but stopped pushing the matter after I made him lasagna for dinner one night. Besides, I wanted him to eat healthier. Having every meal at the local diner couldn't be good for him. I happened to like the guy and wanted to keep him around for a very long time. I would ultimately have to talk him into letting me pack lunch for him too, but I'd take it one step at a time for the time being. He refused to budge on handing over the finances, though, and I was perfectly okay with that.

Of course, I couldn't even make it through a simple trip to the grocery store without incident. Just as I was making my way through the frozen foods section, I ran into none other than pretty boy. Well, ran into him with my buggie. I may even have broken his toe, but I chose to think he was merely overreacting. I didn't have that much food in the cart. Plus, men tended to overreact and be babies about injuries or illnesses.

After our little encounter, I tried to get away, but Edward managed to stop me dead in my tracks. He'd been busy since school let out, apparently.

"So, beautiful, what would you like to do Friday?"

"I'd like to spend a nice quiet evening at home with my favorite book. Obviously, you're going to insist on torturing me by forcing me to go out with you, however, so leave the planning to me." I would make sure he had such a lousy time that he'd never bother with me again.

"I don't think so, buttercup. I was just asking to be polite. I already have our entire evening planned for us. And trust me, little girl, you will have a good time," he whispered the last part right next to my ear.

They must have turned the heat on in the freezer section because it suddenly got really hot in there. I tried to think of a snappy comeback, but Edward was already at the other end of the aisle before I even realized I should have responded. I was really starting to hate pretty boy and his distraction techniques.

I finished shopping and headed to the front to pay. Wouldn't you know it; pretty boy was leaning against one of the counters talking with the cashier. She was pretty and seemed very excited about the attention she was getting from him. I threw up in my mouth a little bit at the sight. Just to make sure he knew I saw him flirting with another girl, I chose that lane. It was empty other than Edward, so I figured it would be the best choice anyway. As I began to unload my groceries onto the conveyer belt, he finally noticed I was there. He sent me a wide smile. I threw him the best bitch brow I could muster. It didn't seem to affect him much.

"Hi, beautiful, I was just telling my friend, Alice, here all about you."

I glanced at the girl to see if he was telling the truth and found her smiling brightly in my direction. She seemed ecstatic that I was standing there. I think she was actually bouncing as I approached the pair. Alice had short, spiky, black hair that seemed to have a mind of its own. It kind of reminded me of a girly version of pretty boy's chaotic mane only her style looked perfected while his looked completely unintentional. I'd watched him run his hand through it so many times already that I had a feeling his crazy hair was the product of a nervous habit. Not that he had anything to be nervous about. He was utterly gorgeous and his girlfriend was one of the prettiest girls I'd ever seen. Alice certainly wasn't ugly either. Pretty boy was surrounded by pretty people. It was thoroughly nauseating.

"It's so nice to meet you, finally. I've heard so much about you from your dad. I was so bummed when I didn't see you at school today," Alice stated quickly as she began to ring up the items I'd pulled out of my shopping cart.

"You know my dad?" I couldn't help asking the stupid question.

"Not really, but my parents do. They're good friends, and he talks about you all the time. He's so proud of you." She literally beamed at me like she expected me to have a similar over the top reaction to her words. I knew my dad liked to talk about me, so what she'd just told me wasn't really that much of a surprise.

"Yeah, he's quiet until you get him chatting about me. For some reason, he thinks I'm something to brag about."

"He has every reason to be a proud papa," pretty boy interjected. "If I had someone like you in my life, I'd never stop bragging about her either."

I rolled my eyes and refocused my attention on the things that still needed to be pulled out of my grocery cart. The faster I could get these up and paid for, the faster I could leave. Being around pretty boy really rattled my nerves. He just knew all the right things to say to make a girl want him, but I was determined to keep myself from becoming one of his victims.

"It was really nice meeting you, Alice. I hope we run into each other again soon," I told Alice, ignoring Edward's presence as he began to follow me out of the store.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Stephenie Meyer is the genius behind these characters we know and love. Big thanks to her for letting us play in the sandbox with them!

**A/N: **Thanks everyone for sticking with me on this silly ride. This chapter is a little longer for you. They will all be on the shorter side, however. Sorry if that disappoints anyone, but that's just how it's flowing.

Thanks to all those reading and a special thanks to those who are taking the time to leave me a review as well. I appreciate every single one bunches and bunches :-)

Take care

~SP


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Before I could stop him, pretty boy had loaded most of my groceries into the back of my truck for me. I couldn't help noticing that he didn't have any bags with him. Was Forks really so boring that he hung out at the grocery store for fun? That thought was not an encouraging one. Maybe his lack of friends had something to do with his odd choice of hang out. Hopefully, I wouldn't end up doing the same. My social life had always been next to nothing so moving here seemed almost too exciting thus far. I'd never been so active before in my life.

"Thanks, I guess," I offered half-heartedly.

"You're welcome, beautiful girl." He flashed me a smile that he obviously expected to affect me like it probably did all the other females.

"Bella," I corrected because I was finally sick of the reaction he invoked every time he called me beautiful or any of the other nicknames that implied he thought I was pretty.

"Thank you, Bella. I thought you'd make me work harder than that, though, Isabella Marie Swan." He smirked and walked toward his own vehicle, leaving me utterly confused.

When I got back home, I decided not to give pretty boy another thought. So, he knew my full name. It was a small town. I just couldn't figure out why he acted as if he hadn't known it at all. Since I couldn't find out the answer until at least the next day, I distracted myself with putting away the groceries and cooking a rather elaborate dinner. My dad would get to reap the benefits of my need to keep my mind occupied.

"Dang, Bells, I didn't think you could top that lasagna you made, but you did good tonight," Charlie complimented me as he patted his normally flat belly. It was protruding slightly due to all the food he'd just consumed.

"Thanks, Dad. I was bored and had just gone to the store this afternoon, so I had time and the ingredients. It wasn't really that hard to make."

"So, I hear you've made friends with Edward Cullen," Dad said as if he were simply commenting on the weather. How did he know that I'd even spoken to the boy?

"Um, we spoke a few times, I guess. We're lab partners in Biology. I wouldn't say we're friends, though." I struggled through my response, not wanting to lie but not wanting to say too much either.

"His dad, Carlisle, and I spoke at the hospital earlier. He'd just gotten off the phone with the school guidance counselor and was pretty excited at the prospect of you and Edward becoming friends." Dad stated with a shrug as if that explained everything.

"Is his dad okay?" I asked because I really wanted to get away from the topic of pretty boy and I _being_ anything.

"Yeah, yeah, he's a doctor. In fact, he was the doctor who treated you when you broke your ankle," he commented and memories of the summer before flashed through my mind. I vaguely recalled meeting Dr. Cullen. All I could really remember about him was that he was insanely good looking for an old dude.

"Oh, right. He seemed nice." The curious tone was not lost on my policeman father, and he looked at me questioningly. No way was I going to let him know what I thought of Dr. Cullen's son, though.

"Look, I'm not gonna tell you all I know, but be nice to Edward. He's been through a lot and has a hard time making friends. OK?"

"What do you mean? Is he a bully or something?" That reminded me I needed to ask my dad about revisiting the lessons on self-defense. Now, I just needed to remember what the hell the other item on my list was.

"No, he's just been through some stuff. Carlisle and Esme adopted him when he was seven, and they've tried really hard to help him adjust as much as they could. That's why they moved to Forks, thought a small town would be better for him."

"That's nice of them." I really didn't know what else to say. I didn't want to give pretty boy the benefit of the doubt. I didn't want to care about him and this information wasn't helping.

"They're good people," he stated with finality. Conversation ended. Thank goodness.

I was able to forget about all the things my dad had said over dinner until I was laying in bed, trying to fall asleep. Pretty boy was definitely weaseling his way into my head, and I desperately needed to find a way to stop him.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Mrs. Meyer owns the Twilight universe. Luckily, she hasn't kicked me out of the sandbox yet...

**A/N:** Whew! It's still Wednesday :-) This one opened up a few things about Edward, huh? What did you think?


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The next day, I woke up later than I would have liked and had to rush around to get ready for school. I ran out to my truck with a granola bar in one hand and hairbrush in the other. I was so preoccupied with frantically trying to get the last of the knots out of my hair that I almost ran smack into pretty boy. He was standing in my driveway looking as if _I'd_ been the one to startle _him_.

"What are you doing here?" I asked around the bite I'd just shoved in my mouth on my way out the door.

"I thought you might like a ride to school," he stated while running one of his hands across the back of his neck. He looked all kinds of uncertain and way too yummy.

"I have a ride, thanks," I responded and stepped around pretty boy, heading to my truck.

"Carlisle told me he talked to your dad. He thinks it's a good idea for us to get to know each other," pretty boy mumbled and shuffled his feet. I barely even heard what he said. Obviously, he was not exactly comfortable being there. I wondered what his motivation was for showing up and offering to take me to school.

"Yeah, my dad mentioned something about that. Look, I'll see you at school, okay?" I had no intention of being alone in a car with pretty boy. For all intents and purposes he was a stranger, and I didn't exactly trust myself to be that close to him anyway.

"Oh, sure. You can sit with me at lunch, gorgeous." He gave me that smirk he seemed so fond of and headed in the direction of his shiny, silver car. I noticed blondie was not inside. That made me smile for some stupid reason.

Pretty boy had the audacity to look surprised when I walked into our first period class right before the late bell rang. Really? Had he really been so distracted by blondie the day before that he hadn't even realized we had English together?

Without so much as a glance at the beautiful girl sitting next to him, he got up and followed me. I sat in the same seat as the day before and breathed a sigh of relief that the seats on either side of me were already taken. Of course, I shouldn't have underestimated pretty boy. He just glared at the boy on my right until the poor guy stood and moved to another desk. What an ass. I was tempted to call out to my classmate and tell him to sit back down, but I didn't know his name, and I didn't want to let pretty boy know that for some unidentifiable reason.

"Hi, beautiful, how did I not know you were in this class too?" pretty boy asked as he took the recently vacated seat.

"Beautiful describes the girl you left fuming on the other side of the room, not me. Why don't you stop this little act and go back where you belong?" I asked in return. The words tumbled from my lips, and I immediately felt bad for how mean they sounded.

For a moment, pretty boy actually looked hurt. Then that all knowing gleam appeared in his way too green eyes. He looked like the cat that ate the canary. I never really understood the saying until that moment. I hated that I liked how good he looked no matter what expression he wore. I hated that my heart was pounding away in my chest at the mere nearness of him. I wanted to smack that smirk right off his stupid face.

There had been a lot of moments in my nearly seventeen years that I wished I knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Around pretty boy, I seemed to have developed a talent for finding the perfect come back to whatever he had to say. Apparently, that made me completely transparent to him. He read me like a freaking open book. I wanted to close him out and leave him wondering. Maybe if I concentrated hard enough I could form a bubble of protection around myself that even pretty boy couldn't get through.

"Why, Bella, I do believe you're jealous." He smiled widely at the thought.

"What? Now you're being delusional," I retorted, hoping he didn't see the fear behind my eyes. His words struck a little too close to the truth I was trying to deny.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer is the genius behind it all. I'm just glad she hasn't kicked me out of the sandbox yet. No harm intended here.

**A/N:** Sorry, I know this is a day late. I really have no excuse other than I simply ran out of time to post it. I'm down to only being one chapter ahead on this but I'm hoping to get more written this weekend. My goal is to get through this entire story without any significant delays. I know it's annoying to have to wait, and I hate that my other stories aren't always updated when they should be.

Until next time...


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

I walked into the lunchroom and scanned it for any signs of the group I had sat with the previous day. I really didn't want to risk pretty boy getting to me before I found a seat. Sighing in relief as I spotted Angela, I made my way through the throngs of students as fast as my clumsy legs would allow. I was glad I had brought my own lunch, so I wouldn't have to wait in the long line for food. Angela greeted me kindly when I sat down next to her. We talked for a few minutes about classes, and I realized I was really starting to like her. She was quiet and genuine, which were qualities I definitely appreciated. I could see the two of us becoming best friends, and I liked the thought. The rest of the group began to slowly arrive, and the table got increasingly louder, making talking quietly with Angela almost impossible.

Just as he had done the day before, pretty boy burst into the cafeteria and a hush fell over the large crowd. I just rolled my eyes and took advantage of the lull in conversations to ask Angela a question about the weekend. I was curious about how everyone intended to get to the beach and was going to offer her a ride in my truck, so I had an excuse to drive. I really didn't want to get smooshed into someone else's car. She shyly mentioned asking Ben to ride with us as well. I noticed the red tinting of her cheeks but chose not to mention it. I didn't want to embarrass her over it. I did think they would make a cute couple, though, and decided to help them along in any way I could.

I had almost forgotten about pretty boy's existence until I felt his arm drape across my shoulders and his breath on my ear. Holy cheese on a cracker, that boy could make my body react in the strangest ways. Goosebumps broke out on my skin. Of course, he saw it and ran his finger gently over my arm to let me know my reaction to him hadn't gone unnoticed. I looked up to find my so-called friends had deserted me in my time of need. They were all ignoring our presence and talking amongst themselves as if we weren't there. I wondered again what pretty boy had done to them to earn their hot and cold responses. Despite the fact everyone gawked at him, they went out of their way to stay away from him. It was all really weird and confusing. I could have asked someone, but I wanted to hear Edward's side first.

"What's this I hear about a beach trip this weekend?" he asked quietly in my ear.

"Oh, um, Mike invited some of us to go to the beach," I stutter-stated.

"And do you think Mike would mind too terribly if I invited myself along?" He was still speaking right into my ear, causing my brain to forget its mission of not letting pretty boy have any power over me.

"You would have to ask him, I guess. I have no idea what he would think about it." I somehow managed to keep my voice even that time. I gave myself a mental fist bump for being so cool under pressure.

"Hey, Newton," pretty boy called across the table. I hadn't even realized Mike wasn't still sitting beside me.

"What, Cullen?" Mike asked obviously annoyed that pretty boy was addressing him.

"Just thought I'd let you know that I'm coming Saturday," he stated as if he were sure Mike wouldn't mind at all.

"Whatever," Mike spat in return and turned his attention back to his group of friends.

"You can ride with me, beautiful," Edward offered still hovering way too close.

"Angela and Ben are riding with me already. Sorry," I stated in return, so sure he couldn't argue against that.

"Hey, Ben," he waited for Ben to acknowledge him and then continued, "change of plans, man. You and Angela are riding with me and Bella to the beach, okay?"

I really wanted to smack pretty boy. Ben nodded in agreement and pretty boy smiled in victory. I responded in a very mature manner and crossed my arms over my chest while turning my face away from pretty boy. He just laughed and walked away without saying another word. By the time I walked into Biology a little later, I was fuming. He was going to get an earful from me regarding acceptable behavior.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I'm pretty sure it's obvious I'm not Stephenie Meyer and that I don't own Edward or Bella.

**A/N:** You ready for the excuse as to why this is a week late? Here goes...my stupid laptop battery decided to stop charging and the power cord decided to develop an issue with actually powering my laptop. So, my husband had to re-image our old as crap laptop for me to use until we can get mine fixed. It doesn't have MS Office loaded yet, so I'm having to use a free word processor, which is fine except it reformatted everything and is making things even more difficult than they should be. So, am I forgiven? Just this once?

Much love,

~SP


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Please read! Due to the craziness of going between two laptops (since mine has decided it will only work if plugged in and sitting exactly the way it wants, which changes every minute) I accidentally posted chapter 11 last week instead of chapter 10! So, this is the REAL chapter 10 and I will post chapter 11 again tomorrow. I would post them both now, but I'm hoping to avoid anymore confusion by waiting a little while in between postings. I hope that makes sense. I was going to just leave this one out, but it's pretty important to the development in the story and the events are mentioned later, so I didn't think that was the best idea.

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten <strong>

As Friday approached, I became more and more nervous about pretty boy and I hanging out alone together. I refused to call it a date.

Thursday night I made another elaborate dinner, hoping to keep my mind off the whole stupid thing. Charlie certainly appreciated my efforts. My homework for the next week was completed, and I was left with nothing to occupy my mind. The house was spotless. All the laundry was clean, except the clothes on our backs, and Charlie stopped me there.

"What's got you all wound up, kiddo?" he asked, wearing his cop face.

"Nothing, Dad. I'm just worried about a test tomorrow, that's all," I lied very unconvincingly.

"Right. Well, try to get some sleep, okay?"

At least he didn't tell me I looked tired. That would have just made things that much worse. Not that I cared what pretty boy thought about my looks, right? That led me to worrying about what I was going to wear. This was all way too much drama for me. I was a simple girl with simple tastes, and I was determined to stay that way. After picking out an outfit I felt I would wear on a normal day anyway, I climbed into bed at around one AM.

The dark circles under my eyes gave away my lack of sleep the last two nights. So, I took a few minutes to apply a little makeup. I justified it by telling myself I didn't want pretty boy to know I'd been losing sleep over him. He definitely would take that the wrong way. It wasn't because I wanted anything from him. I really didn't have a clue why I was reacting this way, and I hated it.

Friday night arrived, and I was a nervous wreck. I had no idea what to expect. To make matters worse, seven o'clock came and went with no sign of pretty boy. There was no way he had forgotten because he had mentioned our "date" only a few hours earlier during our Biology class. I was really starting to wonder if this was his idea of some kind of sick joke when the house phone rang. Taking my time to answer it, assuming it was pretty boy calling to gloat, I made my way over to the kitchen.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Bells?" my dad asked as if there would be anyone else there to answer the phone.

"Yes, Dad, it's me," I assured.

"Sorry, kiddo, but I'm stuck at work and won't be home until real late." I looked at the clock and noticed it was already after seven thirty. He was usually home by five thirty, so I thought it was a little late for him to be calling in order to prevent me from worrying. Of course, I felt horrible when I realized I hadn't even realized he wasn't home on time because I was too buys fretting over pretty boy.

"That's okay, Dad, I understand."

"Dr. Cullen told me you were supposed to meet up with Edward tonight, that true?" he asked, causing me to choke on my own saliva.

"Well, we were, but he's a no show." I didn't really see the point in sugarcoating it for him. He had already let me know he wanted Edward and me to be friends, so I wanted to prepare him for that not happening.

"Oh, well, try to have a good night, Bells." Typical Charlie not wanting to get too into anything.

We ended the call without saying much more, and I went upstairs to change into my jammies. My plan was to snuggle on the couch, watch a movie and pretend pretty boy didn't exist. I even made some microwave popcorn to enjoy since I was no longer going out for dinner. At least I had assumed dinner would have been involved. Just as I was getting nice and comfy cozy, the doorbell rang. It was eight fifteen.

Sure enough, I opened the door to find pretty boy pacing the front porch. He looked stressed out, but I was beyond caring at that point. When he finally looked up at me, he had the audacity to laugh at my pink flamingo flannel pajama pants. I really wished I had remembered to ask my dad how to throw a proper punch or something. I wanted to hurt pretty boy and knock that damn smirk right off his pretty face. Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him my best mean look. He stopped laughing immediately and actually managed to look a little contrite.

"Sorry, I'm late. Mind if I join you?" he asked as he gestured to the setup I had in the living room, offering no explanation.

I opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter. Surprisingly, pretty boy hardly said another word all evening. We watched two movies that I picked out, ate popcorn, and drank some hot chocolate. After the second movie was over, he got up, saying that he should head home and left. Just like that he was gone. I was beyond baffled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** OK, I hope I didn't complete confuse everyone with my mistake! Chapter 11 will be up in the morning - unless my little man has other plans, but it will be up sometime tomorrow, promise!

**Disclaimer:** I make no claims of ownership of the recognizable characters in this story. SM owns everything Twiverse related...


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** OK, here is the chapter that was originally posted as chapter 10, but is really chapter 11. Everyone confused yet? Me too.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

At least pretty boy was on time to pick me up when Saturday arrived. He didn't even flinch when I chastised him, bringing up the fact that he was late the previous night. He just managed to make me feel worse than I already did, and I still didn't have any answers for his tardiness. I really needed to find a way to make sure pretty boy couldn't affect me anymore. That was probably only like the four hundredth time I'd told myself that same thing. Of course, he picked me up first, so I had to endure his inane chatter while we made our way to pick up Angela and Ben. I really tried not to be interested in anything he had to say, but dude was discussing things like he knew exactly what to say to get my attention. It was really starting to freak me out a bit.

We were about half way to the beach before I realized he had gone a roundabout way to pick up Angela. It would have made more sense for him to pick Ben up first. I wondered if he planned it that way on purpose. Once there, I opted not to worry about any of that and just have a good time. I liked most of the people there, and Jake had promised he would be around at some point. He had something to take care of first thing that morning but planned to join us after that was finished. The boys wanted to play a game of football while the girls talked about making the trek to the tide pools. I was all about getting away from pretty boy for a little while, so I enthusiastically encouraged my new gal pals to head off on our little journey.

Unfortunately, pretty boy decided to tag along with the girls after one of the boys stated his concern regarding us going off on our own. I tried not to groan out loud at how chauvinistic that sounded. Right as our group was disappearing into the trees, a group of familiar faces walked around the bend just down the beach from us. I smiled widely when I noticed Jake was with them. We closed the distance quickly, and Jake pulled me into a warm hug. He swung me around a few times before finally placing me back on the ground. Jake gave the best hugs. Pretty boy didn't seem to think so, though, because he was scowling at my friend.

"Oh, um, Jake, this is Edward. Edward, this is Jake. He's one of my oldest and dearest friends," I stated in an effort to clear the noticeable tension between them.

"Hi, Edward. Your dad's the head doc over at the hospital, right?" Jake asked with a weird expression. I arched my eyebrow at him in question but he just shook his head at me. I was definitely going to ask him about that later.

"Yep, that's him," Edward answered as he fisted his hands at his sides.

"OK, boys, why don't we catch up with the girls?" I offered as a distraction. I also really did want to see the tide pools again. They had always been one of my favorite things about visiting my dad during the summers.

The three of us headed in that direction while the rest of the boys that arrived with Jake headed over to join the football game already in progress. Part of me wanted to stay and see that. Jake and his friends were huge, especially when compared to the other boys that were playing. I wondered if there was something in the drinking water on the reservation that made the males grow so much bigger than other guys their age. I hadn't really noticed the disparity until I first saw all the guys together. I'd spent so much of my summers in La Push that, until this last summer, I hadn't made many friends in town, so I'd never noticed the differences until then. Of course, pretty boy was the exception to every rule, so he was to this one too. He and Jake seemed to be similar in size and stature, although Jake had a more muscular physique than pretty boy. I briefly thought about asking Jake to use his obvious advantage to convince pretty boy to leave me alone. The idea that he might actually listen, however, bothered me for some crazy reason. I refused to pursue that line of thinking any further after that.

Reluctantly, I led the way toward the path that would take us to the tidal pools. I really hoped I didn't trip and make a fool of myself, although, doing so was very likely. Somehow, I managed to make it halfway down the trail before anything tragic happened. Who would make a path right over a large root, anyway? Seemed stupid to me. Predictably, my toes found the edge of the darn thing, and I went tumbling down. I closed my eyes tight and waited for impact. Instead of meeting the hard earth, though, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and catch me.

With cheeks likely the color of cherry tomatoes, I thanked pretty boy for saving me from a certain ER visit and tried to continue on our path as if nothing had happened.

"Remember that time I had to save you from falling headfirst into one of the pools?" Jake asked as he laughed at the memory.

"Shut up, Jacob Black!" I demanded in my most menacing voice. Apparently, it wasn't all that terrifying because he just continued.

"You thought you were going to be sucked down into it and drown," he snorted out through his laughter.

I reacted on instinct and hit him in the shoulder as hard as I could in an effort to get him to stop talking. Naturally, I was the one to get hurt. I could swear that boy's body was made out of lead or something. Without having to wait for it to start swelling, I knew my hand was hurt pretty badly, although I was almost certain it wasn't broken. Jacob immediately started chastising me for being stupid enough to hit him in the first place, telling me I deserved to suffer for trying to hurt him. His joking at my pain, more so than the actual pain itself, brought tears to my eyes. I fought to keep them from falling, but pretty boy noticed anyway. Before I could stop him, Edward was attacking Jake, telling him to apologize to me for being such an insensitive jerk. Obviously, the size advantage wasn't leaning in Jake's favor as I had thought it would because pretty boy was basically kicking Jacob's ass.

Like pretty boy needed another opportunity to play the role of my knight in shinning armor.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I do not claim to own what I do not. The Twiverse is the sole property of Stephenie Meyer.

**A/N:** Again, I'm so sorry about the confusion. Chapter 10 is as it should be and now chapter 11 is in its proper place.

Thanks so much for sticking with me despite my silliness!

~SP


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Finally, Edward gave Jacob one last shove and ended the fight. He ran back over to where I was still standing, cradling my injured hand against my chest. I was a little in shock at the display of brute force I had just witnessed. I'd always seen Jacob as a protector of sorts, but pretty boy demolished him. It was really hard to see that happen, and I was a little pissed at pretty boy for his actions. They didn't seem completely warranted, in my opinion. The pain in my hand made thinking about anything else difficult, though, so I had to let those thoughts go for the time being.

Once I made sure Jake was okay, I allowed pretty boy to lead me back to the beach. He left me just long enough to let Ben know he would need to find another ride home. We walked silently back to his car as I tried to ignore the throbbing pain.

"I can't believe you did that," I finally said, wanting pretty boy to know I wasn't happy with his actions.

"He was being an ass," he stated and shrugged his shoulders.

"That may be, but he didn't deserve what you did to him, Edward!" I was fuming and couldn't believe pretty boy was being so nonchalant about beating up my best friend. Sure, Jake had acted like an idiot, but that didn't mean pretty boy had the right to do what he did.

"Bella, there's one thing you need to know and accept. When it comes to you, I will do anything to keep you safe. He hurt you, therefore, I hurt him. Now, let's go get your hand looked at," pretty boy responded with complete sincerity.

After that, I couldn't think of much to say. I was floored by his words. He would do anything to keep me safe? But Jake hadn't really been the one to hurt me. I had hurt myself by stupidly punching Jake. Didn't that mean Edward should have beaten me up instead? Ugh, I was so confused. We pulled up in front of the hospital, and pretty boy came around to help me out of his car. I was having a difficult time meshing the two sides of pretty boy together. One minute, he was all sweet and complimentary and the next he was being completely cruel. Of course, his cruelty was never directed at me, per se, only those he perceived had hurt me.

We walked inside, pretty boy leading me with his hand resting on my lower back. The receptionist greeted us kindly before asking us to fill out the standard forms. I took the clipboard and began making my way over to a chair when pretty boy stopped me. He just shook his head, took the clipboard from me and whispered something to the receptionist that I couldn't hear. She nodded in understanding before buzzing us through the double doors and picking up the phone next to her. Pretty boy led me into the maze of hallways beyond, and I tried to keep up with where we were, but it was useless. I was utterly lost by the time we stopped in front of one of the many doors.

Pretty boy squeezed my hand, and I wondered when the heck he'd grabbed my good hand and why on earth I was letting him hold it. He knocked lightly on the door before opening it and entering the office within. Sitting behind a large wooden desk, was Dr. Cullen. I recognized him immediately, and he was still as hot as I remembered.

"Edward, what happened?" Dr. Cullen asked in obvious concern. "Bella, are you okay?" he continued when pretty boy didn't answer right away.

"I think I broke my hand," I responded honestly.

"She punched someone," Edward stated flatly, and Dr. Cullen looked at him with concern etched all over his handsome face.

"Well, let's take a look at that hand, shall we, Bella?" Dr. Cullen reached out for my hand and I reluctantly allowed him to pull it away from where I had been cuddling it against my chest. "Well, it's definitely bruised and we need to do something about all this swelling. Do you feel okay to walk over to X-ray or should I get a wheelchair for you?"

"I can walk," I replied meekly.

Dr. Cullen nodded and began to lead me out of the room. Pretty boy followed behind even though his dad told him to stay in the office. Over the next half an hour, I had to endure Dr. Cullen moving my hand around in order to get different angles of the bones underneath. Pretty boy refused to leave my side the entire time. I really couldn't understand why he seemed so reluctant to leave me alone, even with his dad.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Hopefully, we all know who owns it all by now...it's not me

**A/N:** Whew, I made it! I've been so freaking sick this last week that I haven't been able to get much accomplished other than coughing non-stop. I think hubs is about to kick me out of the bedroom at night so he can actually get some sleep. Luckily, I'm still a little ahead with this one, so I was able to update on time. Not sure when I'll be able to update my other stories :-( It should be soon, though, I hope.

Thanks so much to everyone who is sticking with me on this one. I'm having fun with these two. Things will get a little serious in a little bit, but it won't be too bad, promise :-)

~SP


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I really tried to post this yesterday but ffnet had other ideas. So sorry for the delay :-(

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

After only two hours of torture, I was finally allowed to leave the hospital. I sported a cool black cast on my right hand and held a bag full of prescription pain killers in my left. Dr. Cullen had given me strict orders to rest my broken appendage before he even thought about letting me leave. His concern was sweet, and I liked knowing he would be around for any emergencies I was sure to have in the future. It was easy to see why he and my dad were such good friends. What didn't make sense, though, was pretty boy's over protectiveness. Dr. Cullen seemed to almost expect it, and I overheard him telling his son to make sure not to make a nuisance out of himself. That was definitely odd.

Since I couldn't drive, I wasn't all that surprised to find pretty boy in my kitchen the following Monday morning. He and Charlie seemed comfortable enough around each other. Dad knew things about pretty boy that were still a mystery to me, and he didn't seem too surprised by my classmate's behavior toward me either. I was really starting to get curious about what made pretty boy respond the way he did to me getting hurt. That would mean getting to know the guy more, though, and I wasn't sure that was such a great idea. I needed distance, like the size of the Grand Canyon, in order to preserve what little hope I had of fending off pretty boy's advances. Giving in would assuredly be bad, very bad.

"Morning," I mumbled as I made my way over to the cabinets, grabbing a bowl and a box of cereal before getting the milk and sitting down next to my dad.

"Morning, Bells," my dad greeted me as he slid the section of the paper containing the crossword puzzle over to me. I loved how he did things like that for me.

"Good morning, Bella, how's your hand?" pretty boy asked with concern etched all over his pretty face.

"It hurts," I stated around a mouthful of cereal. No time like the present to start trying to get pretty boy to realize I wasn't worth the effort.

"Did you take the pain medication Carlisle prescribed?" he seemed genuinely worried that I might be in pain.

"Nope, I'm waiting until after I eat so it doesn't make me sick," I responded, trying not to sound effected by his attentiveness.

"Bells, I've gotta work late tonight. Sue is gonna swing by to help you get a shower and stuff, okay?" my dad asked, studying me carefully to gauge my reaction.

Sue was a nurse, so it made sense for her to give me a hand. Plus, she was female, which would make things less awkward. I also really liked her, so that was a bonus. The only odd thing was Charlie asking her to do it. Was there something going on there that I didn't know about? Maybe this was his way of telling me. He was a man of few words, after all. His private life was his own, but if he wanted to bring her into the mix, I could accept that too. I was just not expecting for him to ever move on since he hadn't seemed to get over my mom leaving him all those years earlier. If he had, though, Sue was certainly a good choice. I decided to let it slide for the time being and question Sue about the nature of their relationship later while she was there. I was more likely to get information from her than my dad anyway.

"Thanks, Dad, that was nice of you to make sure I would have someone around to help me," I answered, earning a small smile of appreciation from my dad.

"Of course, kiddo," he assured before getting up and cleaning up his bowl.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I claim no ownership of Twilight related things...

**A/N:** Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate all of you hanging onto this crazy ride with me :-) I know this one was even shorter than usual, but it needed to end where it did. The next one is actually longer than average so I hope that makes up for this one. The reasons for Edward's reactions to Bella will slowly be revealed as we go along, I promise. There is a method to some of his madness :-)

Tootles,

~SP


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The ride to school was uncomfortably quiet. Pretty boy kept flexing his fingers, tightening his grip on the wheel, causing his knuckles to turn white, before relaxing them and letting out a loud sigh. Then he'd repeat the whole process a few seconds later. He seemed to want to say something too because his mouth would open each time he sighed, only to close again right before he tensed up once more. As amusing as it was to watch, I felt bad for the guy. He obviously was stressing out about something and was having a difficult time over there. Against my better judgment, I decided to throw him a bone.

"Thanks for the ride," I stated while giving him a small smile to show my gratitude was genuine.

"You're welcome. I wanted to make sure you were okay, and I didn't think you'd be able to drive, so I thought, since your house is on my way anyway, that I would offer..." he trailed off and ran his hand through his hair in a rather nervous looking gesture.

"Hey," I called to get his attention as I unwittingly reached out to stop his rough movements through his hair.

His arm stopped immediately, and for a second, he fixated on the spot where I was touching him before suddenly snapping his gaze back to the road. I could tell I'd startled him, and I'd surprised myself too, by my actions. I pulled my hand away, upset with myself at my desire to leave it there.

"I just worry about you," he admitted quietly right before parking the car, quickly hopping out and walking toward the school.

I shook my head in disbelief. I guessed that solved the problem of getting too close to him for the time being. So, I should have been relieved. Yet, I wasn't.

The day went by in a blur as I tried to piece together the puzzle that was Edward Cullen. I wasn't getting very far in figuring him out and was just getting more and more frustrated. I finally decided to just let it go for the moment. He, apparently, was determined to be around, so I would simply ignore him. That had to be the best option. He was distracting me from everything else, and I needed to put a stop to his invasion.

By the time lunch hour rolled around, I was steadfast in my resolve to keep pretty boy at arm's length. He could talk to me all he wanted. Nothing said I had to respond or even listen. So, with my head held high, I made my way through the food line before walking straight to the vacant seat next to Angela.

"Bella, you haven't told me how you hurt your hand," she prodded gently. Angela was not one to pry, but I could tell she was concerned.

"Ugh, it's so embarrassing. I hit Jake when he said something stupid." I sighed when I revealed how idiotic I had been.

"Wow, you must have hit him really hard," she commented.

"He didn't even feel it. Totally not worth it," I lamented.

"At least you have a cool colored cast, and no one can sign it since its black," she stated in an apparent attempt to lighten the mood.

"I've figured that shit out. Give me your arm, beautiful girl," pretty boy said from behind me, startling me and causing me to spit the drink of lemonade I had just taken all over the table in front of me.

He took advantage of my distraction by gently picking up my right hand and holding it close to him. Before I had a chance to ask what the hell he was doing, he produced a silver permanent marker from the front pocket of his hoodie. All I could do was shake my head as he wrote something on my cast. So much for the dark color keeping people from writing all over it, I thought in annoyance. Rolling my eyes, I looked back over to Angela. I just had to hope he didn't write anything inappropriate on there. He wasn't going to get any attention from me for his actions.

"There. See you next period, gorgeous." The last part was whispered in my ear for only me to hear. Somehow, that made it seem intimate even though it really wasn't. I resolutely refused to read whatever he had written on my cast.

At least I hadn't given him the satisfaction of visibly reacting to him. Well, other than the whole spit take bit. That could be played off as a reaction to being startled. I figured as long as I hadn't said anything, my plan was still proving effective. He may not have noticed it then, but he definitely would get the point when I ignored him during Biology. When I walked into the classroom, however, my resolve almost crumbled. He smiled up at me when he saw me. The look was one of genuine delight, and I just about melted. He'd never looked at me like that before.

"Hi, cutie, how's your day been so far?" he asked nicely.

I just looked at him and shrugged before leaning over to grab my text book out of my bag. I was seriously in jeopardy of ruining everything. As if he could sense my inner struggle, pretty boy leaned in close to ask if I was okay. He sounded really worried about me, so I nodded. He cast a skeptical glance in my direction and shook his head. I watched as he turned in his seat to face me fully, hoping he wasn't going to do something to make ignoring his presence even more difficult.

"Bella, please talk to me," he pled. And, the cheese fell off the cracker. I was freaking doomed. I think I may have even squeaked at hearing him say my name. It was too much.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I know it's hard to believe, but I really don't own these characters. They are SM's creations...

**A/N:** So, anyone curious about what Edward wrote on Bella's cast? I bet she won't be able to avoid looking at it for much longer. I'm sure she's just dying to know what he put there for everyone to see...

Thanks so much for reading! The reviews for this story make me smile :-) You're all so awesome! I wish I had more time so I could reply to every single one! If you're interested, I'm on Twitter and I promise to follow back!

See you soon,

~SP


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** I know! Apology (groveling) at the bottom.

**From Last Chapter:**

_"Hi, cutie, how's your day been so far?" he asked nicely._

_I just looked at him and shrugged before leaning over to grab my text book out of my bag. I was seriously in jeopardy of ruining everything. As if he could sense my inner struggle, pretty boy leaned in close to ask if I was okay. He sounded really worried about me, so I nodded. He cast a skeptical glance in my direction and shook his head. I watched as he turned in his seat to face me fully, hoping he wasn't going to do something to make ignoring his presence even more difficult._

_"Bella, please talk to me," he pled. And, the cheese fell off the cracker. I was freaking doomed. I think I may have even squeaked at hearing him say my name. It was too much._

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><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

I thought the nicknames he'd been using since we met had an effect on me, but hearing him call me by my name, especially followed by such a sincere plea, proved I really had no idea. How was I supposed to snub him when he did things like that? Seriously, doing so was simply impossible. He had somehow managed to infiltrate the walls of my self-preservation fortress. I wondered how long I had before he realized that he freaking owned me. That would surely give him all the ammo he'd need to thoroughly destroy me. I'd seen my mom do it to countless men over the years. She'd started with my dad and just kept on breaking every man who dared show her affection. Phil was, so far, the only exception to her diabolical ways.

Edward's hand reached out and gently tilted my face up to meet his by placing his fingers under my chin. Yep, I was a goner. Damn it, I hadn't even lasted the day. I could practically see the walls I'd built up to protect myself crumble at his feet.

Luckily, the door to the classroom slammed open loudly and gave me the jolt I needed to break from pretty boy's hypnotizing gaze. At least I had gained enough control to think of him as pretty boy again. I felt like I could save myself if I could just maintain that separation and keep thinking of him as the smooth operator he seemed to be.

"Miss Swan," Mr. Banner called, drawing my eyes to the front of the room. To my utter horror, James was standing there, and he was scowling at pretty boy.

"Yes," I asked hesitantly, wondering what James was doing there and why he was glaring at pretty boy as if he wanted to kill him.

"You've been summoned to the office. I suggest you take your belongings since there's only fifteen minutes left of class," Mr. Banner stated as if it were perfectly normal for one student to come get another out of class. It seemed odd to me. Didn't they have an intercom system or something? There was a phone sitting on his desk too, so why didn't they use that?

I risked a quick glance in pretty boy's direction and was shocked to see him returning James' hateful stare. Pretty boy's hands were clenched around the edge of his chair, and he was breathing heavily. He looked the same way he had right before he punched Jacob at the beach.

Reluctantly, I gathered my books and headed to the front of the room. James didn't even acknowledge me before turning and walking out the door. As soon as we were in the hall, I realized I should have listened to my instincts.

"Why the hell were you letting Cullen get that close to you, Bella?" he asked, seething.

"Who I talk to or how is no longer any concern of yours," I spat back, sounding braver than I felt. I was getting pretty angry, though, and that was helping to fuel my courage a little.

"I thought I had made it perfectly clear when I told you I owned you. I've given you some space to calm down, but that shit ends now. Stay away from Cullen." When he finished his speech, he grabbed my arm at the elbow, squeezing painfully hard, and practically dragged me down the hallway.

"James, you don't own me. I broke up with you, remember? After I found you letting that girl put her mouth on you," I stated, reminding him that he really didn't have any claim on me anymore. Plus, no one _owned_ me.

"Bella, I told you that she was just scratching an itch for me. You're my girlfriend, not her." James must have been losing his mind.

"No, I'm not your girlfriend. We are over," I screamed at him, realizing he was taking me toward the parking lot.

There were still at least ten minutes before the bell would ring, and the halls were deserted. No one was around to save me or hear if I cried out for help. Craptastic, I was in some serious trouble. If the look on James' face was any indication, I wasn't going to make it away unscathed.

He obviously thought there was still something between us, and that I'd betrayed that with pretty boy. I was so confused. After we'd fought over him being with that red headed girl, I thought he was happy with us going our separate ways. He'd even gone as far as to tell me that I never meant anything to him and was easily replaceable. His words had hurt me, and I had spent the last several weeks of summer licking my wounds. I had let him get close to me, and even though I never fell in love with him or anything, I had really liked him.

"James, I need to go back to class, please. We can talk about this later," I said, hoping he would just let me go.

"I don't think so, Bella. You need to be punished for your behavior."

Fortunately, my bladder was empty. Otherwise, I may have made an embarrassing mess when he said that to me. Before we made it to the old Mustang James drove, I felt a rough tug as James was pulled away from me. I looked up to find pretty boy pushing James repeatedly, forcing him in the direction of a group of trees next to the student parking area. Pretty boy looked fierce and was shouting all kinds of obscenities right in James' face. I was too shocked to move as I watched pretty boy unleash his wrath.

His muscles contracted underneath his shirt each time his arm reared back, readying for another punch. I tried not to concentrate on how his body moved so gracefully, even while doing something so violent. James didn't stand a chance. When James seemed to finally concede defeat, pretty boy turned to me with a tortured look on his face. He kept glancing back and forth between the two of us as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to continue his assault on James or come to me. Seemingly making a decision, pretty boy stalked in my direction and wrapped his arms around me. His embrace was tight, and I could feel him murmuring something against the top of my head but his whispers were too low for me to hear.

"Please don't cry, pretty girl," he said as he finally pulled back, keeping me in his arms but putting enough space between us for him to study my face.

I hadn't even realized I had been crying.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> You know I don't own Twilight...thanks to SM, I do get to purge some plot bunnies though :-)

**A/N:** We had family over for the Thanksgiving holiday and it was even more stressful than I anticipated. My dad and his wife (number 3) were here and, apparently, he's decided we should all be one big happy family. It's just not that easy for me and I've got baggage. He thinks it shouldn't matter, I do. I'm just too much of a wuss to call him out on how crappy he's being. Yeah, I know you wanted to know all of that! Anyway, I am still ahead on this story, so the next chapter will post on Wednesday. Am I forgiven?

For those who read my other stories, Without Disappointment should post sometime next week. The chapter is written but needs a little tweaking.

See you again soon!

~SP


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

The sound of my dad's strained voice brought me out of my stupor. Ever since one of the school administrators had noticed pretty boy and me out in the parking lot, I had been in kind of a daze. Mr. Administrator Guy had started by asking us why we were in the parking lot rather than in class where we were supposed to be. Then he spotted James several feet away, clutching his abdomen and groaning in pain. At that point, I think, pretty boy was hauled away from me and the vice principal started demanding answers regarding what had happened. All of the events were scrambled in my mind and nothing really made sense.

At some point, I ended up in the main office without having any recollection of how I got there. I'd never spaced out like that before, so it scared me. My dad seemed to notice my confusion and take pity on me. He put his arm around my shoulders and just held me like that for a few minutes, giving me a chance to clear my head. I looked up at him once I felt a bit calmer and noted he was staring intently at the principal's office door. I wondered what was going on behind it and whether or not pretty boy was getting in trouble. I couldn't stand the thought of him being punished when he had only been acting in my defense.

"Dad, do they know James was dragging me out to the parking lot and Edward stopped him?"

"What?" Dad asked in confusion, giving me my answer.

"James came into my Biology class, saying I he had been sent to take me to the front office. When we got in the hall, he grabbed me and started accusing me of cheating on him even though we broke up weeks ago. I was really scared, but Edward saved me," I explained frantically.

"All right, calm down. I'm sure Edward will get a chance to give his side of the story. All I know right now is that James kid is claiming Edward attacked him for no reason. Don't worry, Bells, we'll get this mess straightened out," he added the last part after looking at me. I must have looked as panicked as I felt.

"Thanks, Dad," I stated, knowing my gratitude was as much for him not even questioning whether or not I was telling the truth as it was for his willingness to make things right.

He simply squeezed my shoulder in response. After I gave him a more detailed explanation of the events, we sat in silence, waiting for that damn door to open. All sorts of scenarios were running through my head. I pictured everything from pretty boy being expelled to him being sent off to military school. Even though I knew those thoughts were likely a bit ridiculous, I couldn't stop myself from fearing they were a possibility. In my mind, there was no limit to how far the principal and pretty boy's parents were willing to go to get pretty boy walking the straight and narrow.

When I heard screaming coming from the office, my crazy fears seemed even more probable. The voice was most definitely pretty boy's. Suddenly, the thought of facing a day without him scared me. He had become so important in such a short amount of time. Maybe it would be better if he was sent away, I thought as I began to realize just how much I wanted him to stay.

The door flew open followed by pretty boy storming out looking more frustrated than angry. He started to walk away when he noticed me sitting there. Stopping abruptly, he took a few steps in my direction before he realized my dad was there too. He pushed his hand roughly through his hair and started rubbing the back of his neck. I could tell he was extremely agitated, and I wondered what had happened.

"Bella," he stated barely above a whisper. He kept looking between my dad and me without saying anything else.

"Edward, son," Dr. Cullen called out softly when he had made his way through the office door and saw pretty boy standing there. He seemed relieved that pretty boy hadn't gone far.

"I'm fine," pretty boy stated through clinched teeth before turning his attention back to me. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?" His tone and the look in his eyes reminded me of how he responded when I broke my hand.

"No, he didn't get a chance. I'm fine, thanks to you," I rushed to assure him.

There was a commotion behind us, and I looked up to see more people coming out of the office. An older man that I didn't recognize was talking loudly about pressing charges, and I assumed he was James' father. A small woman practically cowered behind him, and I almost felt sorry for her because she looked absolutely mortified. She looked up into the yelling man's face as if she couldn't believe what was happening right there in front of her.

The principal placed a heavy hand on the man's shoulder, asking him to keep calm. That only seemed to incense the man further. When the principal threatened to have him forcibly removed, though, James' father finally shut up.

A light caress on my cheek brought my attention back to pretty boy. He was staring at my arm with a tense expression. When I glanced down to see what held his attention, I saw purple markings starting to blossom around my elbow where James had grabbed me. I had forgotten about his tight grip until that moment. Pretty boy continued to glare at the bruising as if he wanted to rip off the damaged area.

"Edward?" I called hesitantly when I realized everyone was staring at us. Dr. Cullen, especially, seemed particularly concerned about his son's reaction.

"Carlisle, he…he hurt her," pretty boy said, looking at his adoptive father. The two seemed to have a silent conversation as I sat there, waiting.

"Edward, she's fine. It's just some bruising," Dr. Cullen stated as he lifted my arm and moved it around. He straightened it and bent it at the elbow again before continuing. "See, no real damage done. There isn't even any swelling." His tone was soft but not condescending.

"Mr. Swan, Bella, may I see you in my office for a moment?" the principal asked, pulling me out of pretty boy's hypnotizing stare.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I'm not boldly going where no woman has gone before. Mrs. Meyer has been here, done that...I'm not as original as I imagine myself to be.

**A/N:** Yay! I updated on time. Go me! I know we still don't know what Edward wrote on her cast! She just refuses to look, and then all this mess with James made her forget all about it. Silly girl. Maybe we'll find out next chapter?

What do you think pretty boy wrote on Bella's cast? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks so much for reading! I read each and every review and appreciate them immensely. Sorry I don't reply more...I wish I had more hours in my day!

See you next week!

~SP


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

I followed my dad, casting a worried glance back at pretty boy before the door closed shut, blocking my view of him. The principal asked me to tell him exactly what happened, so I did. I started with James coming into the classroom and ended with becoming aware of being in the main office. He listened patiently and only interrupted to ask a few clarifying questions. When I was finished, he rested his elbows on his desk and tented his hands in front of him. He appeared to be pondering the information I had given him. I started to tremble as I watched several emotions play across his face.

"Charlie, what do you think about this mess?" he asked my dad, drawing my attention to my right where my dad was sitting quietly.

"Well, I think James needs to be expelled and charged with assault at the very least. He seemed to be trying to kidnap my daughter, so there is no way I'm letting that go. As far as Edward is concerned, I would be very put out if he got into any trouble over all this," Dad stated firmly.

"Very well, I'll have James held here until one of your officers can collect him. We have a zero tolerance policy for violence, however, so I can't let Edward walk away completely unpunished. A week of detention ought to do it," the principal replied, nodding resolutely.

"How can you give him detention when he was only helping me?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Bells, let me handle this, please?" Dad said as he gently placed his hand on my arm then turned back to the man on the other side of the desk. "I understand you're in a tough position here, Henry, but I think, under the circumstances, you can bend the rules a little."

"Okay, okay, I guess we can figure something out on that. Listen, why don't you take Bella home, and we'll talk more about this later?" the principal asked with pleading eyes. I wondered why he was so concerned about Edward getting some sort of discipline for what happened when I was pretty sure he agreed that Edward didn't deserve it.

The men stood and shook hands before Dad led me out of the room and past where Dr. Cullen was having a heated discussion with the scary man I thought to be James' dad. Pretty boy was sitting next to a beautiful older woman with his head resting in his hands. I wanted to go over to comfort him, but Dad had his hand on my shoulder, leading me in the opposite direction. He obviously didn't want me any more involved than I already was, and I could understand why. Dad had always been very protective of me.

"Bells, I want you to go ahead and drive your truck home. I'll be there as soon as I get this mess straightened out and have James locked up tight for the night." His words were gentle, but I heard the command underneath and knew there would be no use in arguing.

When I made it out to the parking lot, I practically crumpled onto the ground when I rembered I hadn't driven myself to school that morning. I was utterly exhausted and confused by the day's events. I still couldn't really wrap my mind around what James had attempted to do. He might have actually kidnapped me if Edward hadn't been there. Tears began to blur my vision, so I took a moment to just calm down a little. I tried to push the emotions aside, hoping to keep them at bay, at least long enough to figure out how I was going to get home. As my hands came up to wipe away the lingering tears, I noticed a flash of silver on my cast. I had completely forgotten that Edward had found a way to write something on its dark surface. In an effort to give myself further incentive to calm down enough to formulate a plan, I decided not to read his words until I got home.

"Damn it, I can't believe I'm doing this." An unfamiliar voice sounded right next to me and I jumped up in surprise. I hadn't heard Blondie approaching me. "Get in the car," she ordered, gesturing toward pretty boy's car. I simply nodded and got in without even questioning her.

As soon as I she stopped at the curb, I hopped out of the car, threw a quick thank you over my shoulder, and rushed into the house. We hadn't said a word to each other the whole ride, and that was fine with me. I didn't want her telling me anything about her relationship with pretty boy, anyway. That thought reminded me I could finally read whatever pretty boy had scribbled onto my cast.

I flipped my arm over and my heart stopped at what I saw. Written there in an elegant script that no teenage boy should be able to pen, were the most beautiful words I had ever read. I was pretty sure they weren't originally his, but didn't really give a damn because _he_ had written them for _me_. Right across the underside of my wrist, he declared himself in six meaningful words.

_You're nothing short of my everything._

Pretty boy had to be too good to be real. He could easily be with any girl at school, but he had written those words to me. I wondered if he was this smooth with every other female unfortunate enough to cross his path. Somehow, I couldn't believe that about him anymore. The only other people I'd ever seen him interact with were Alice and that blonde beauty. I still didn't know her name. I would have to make sure to pay attention during roll call in first period the next day so I could at least give her a name besides Blondie.

She was definitely territorial of pretty boy, but he'd snubbed her a couple of times in order to talk to me. If they were in a relationship, certainly she wouldn't let that happen. She didn't seem to like me much, but she hadn't threatened me or anything either. In fact, she'd never said a single thing to me, well not directly. I couldn't imagine she would just let it go if he were her boyfriend or whatever. She'd certainly had the opportunity to stake her claim while driving me home earlier.

A loud knock on my door ripped me from thinking about the gorgeous blonde and what she might mean to pretty boy. I stretched as I stood up from the couch. My muscles were still tensed from the stress of the day, and I really wanted to take a hot shower to help me relax. Before I made it halfway to the door, the person knocked again, even louder. I restrained myself from calling out something rude as I swung the door open with more force than absolutely necessary.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the rights to call Edward and Bella hers. I'm just glad she loans them out for others to play with them some too.<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Alice stood on the front porch bouncing on the balls of her feet. She looked equal parts excited and worried about being there. For a moment, I just stood there watching her, wondering why she was at my house. Despite the fact we went to school together, I had only seen her that one time at the grocery store when pretty boy introduced us. It was almost a little strange that we didn't at least pass each other in the halls or see each other at lunch. The school wasn't very big and most faces had quickly become familiar to me.

"Hi, Bella! Sorry to just show up without calling or anything, but I really wanted to talk to you, and I don't have your phone number yet, so here I am," she stated quickly as if she was worried I would shut the door in her face or something.

"It's fine, Alice, do you want to come in?" I was way too curious about what she wanted to discuss to turn her away.

"Yes, that would be great," she stated with a huge smile on her face that seemed more appropriate for finding just what she wanted for Christmas under the tree rather than just being invited into my home.

She pranced into the living room and started looking at the plethora of pictures that my dad had hanging all over the walls that showed me growing from a baby to a teenager. He was a proud papa and had every one of my school pictures framed along with others that had been taken throughout the years. I tried not to be embarrassed that she was seeing all of them and how awkward I had always been. She finally turned back to me and gestured toward the couch as if asking my permission to sit.

"Um, sure, have a seat," I offered as I took my dad's old recliner. I was afraid she'd make me sick with all the bouncing if I sat with her on the couch – like when on a trampoline with someone who keeps jumping even though I had asked them to stop so I could get off the damn thing.

"So, you and Edward are getting close I hear," she stated, and I appreciate her bluntness. At least I knew why she was there and could move on accordingly.

"I guess you could say that. Who told you?" I asked because I was almost certain it wasn't pretty boy. He just didn't strike me as the type to gossip.

"Oh, Rose did. She's kind of pissed about it, actually," she said flippantly as if I shouldn't concern myself about this Rose person being pissed off about my friendship with pretty boy.

"Rose?" I questioned to let her know I had no idea who she was talking about.

"You know, the pretty blonde that's always around Edward. Sometimes, I swear those two are glued at the hip or something." Her words did nothing to ease any concerns I had regarding Blondie. The only thing she had accomplished was to give me a name to put with the face.

"She scowls at me a lot," I responded stupidly.

"Yeah, she's good at that."

"Are they together or something?" I hadn't intended to ask, but I couldn't stop myself.

"What, like a couple?" she asked to clarify, and I nodded. "No! Rose is just protective of him because he's her friend, and he's her boyfriend's brother. She thinks you're going to hurt him. We've just never seen him interested in anyone before, so she's worried. Just ignore her. She'll get over it," Alice explained not making me feel any better about the situation.

"He has a brother?" That was news to me.

"Yeah, he's a couple years older than us, I think. He's going to the University of Washington in Seattle, so he's not around much these days."

"Oh." I was full of inspiring words that afternoon, apparently.

"Look, I know that you haven't known Edward for very long and there's a lot you don't know about him, but I can tell you genuinely like him and you're not using him or anything. I just wanted to tell you that he might be a little awkward sometimes, but you shouldn't give up on him. Like I said, I've never seen him take an interest in anyone before, and I don't want to see him get hurt. I know it's not always avoidable, but I just want to make sure you're not leading him on or anything." She seemed earnestly concerned for her friend, so I really couldn't fault her for saying what she did. I would probably do the same if I had any close friends.

"I can't promise that I won't hurt him because I don't know what the future holds, but I can promise that I won't purposely do so," I responded, hoping to ease her mind without making a promise I wasn't confident I could keep.

"That's all I can ask."

I nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer is the ruler of the Twilight Universe, I'm simply one of her humble followers

**A/N:** So sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday. I had every intention of updating, but RL had other ideas, you know?

Thanks so much for reading!

See you all next week :-)

~SP


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

After Alice left, I sat on the couch, contemplating all she'd said. Those close to pretty boy sure were protective of him. It made me wonder why. Dad had mentioned Edward had a past. Edward's dad seemed overly worried about his reactions both times I had been around the two of them together. There was apparently an important piece missing of the pretty boy puzzle. I wondered if having access to the missing information would change the way I felt about him. Somehow, I doubted it.

Deciding there wasn't anything else I could do about the pretty boy situation right then, I hopped up and began preparing dinner. Dad would be home soon, and I wanted to have everything ready before he got there. His day likely only got worse after I had left the school, and I knew he had to be all wound up about the whole James incident. I hated that, in a roundabout kind of way, I had brought that upon him.

By the time Dad walked in the door, I had chicken fajitas sizzling on the stove with small plates of all kinds of fixings spread out on the table. He put away his gun belt and changed into his street clothes before joining me in the kitchen and whistling in appreciation.

"Bells, I don't know how I survived without you for so long, kiddo," he teased as he walked over to the fridge to grab a beer.

We sat down and ate in a comfortable silence. I enjoyed how we could just be in each other's company without feeling the need to fill every moment with innate chatter. Mom was always talking about something like she just couldn't stand not to have a conversation going at all times. I guessed I was more like my dad in that I appreciated rare moments of silence. When he slid his plate aside, I decided it was time we talked about what had happened earlier, though.

"So, everything go okay after I left?" I asked hesitantly, hoping he didn't get upset that I was bringing it up again.

"Yep, James is in a holding cell and will have his arraignment hearing tomorrow morning. His dad wasn't real happy about his son's arrest, though, and was throwing out all kinds of threats. Last I heard, he was suing the entire town over this." Dad shook his head at the thought.

"Will he be out on bail or whatever soon?" I was so worried about what James would do once he got out of jail.

"I guess that's possible. Depends on what the judge says. Seeing as I plan on being there and arguing against granting the yahoo bail, I suppose it's more likely he won't. His dad's got money, though, so I expect he'll have some overpriced lawyer there working on getting James out."

I was shaking at the thought of James getting the chance to finish what he started earlier. There was a good possibility that no one would be around to save me the next time. I'd gotten so lucky that Edward had somehow gotten out there and rescued me. Most afternoons, I was at home alone, and James would have plenty of opportunities to catch me without anyone stopping him.

"Bells, don't worry about any of it yet, okay? If he makes bail, we'll make sure you're well protected. I'm not taking any risks with this, you hear?"

I couldn't help it; I needed a hug from my daddy. So, I got up and snuggled into his comforting embrace before he could find an excuse to stop me. We sat there just clinging to one another for several minutes before we awkwardly went about the rest of our evening. I cleared and washed the dishes, putting away the leftovers while Dad went into the living room and turned on the TV. When I ventured in to tell him goodnight, I was surprised to find he'd cleaned the whole room. He'd even dusted the picture frames that were sitting or hanging on every available surface. I couldn't stop smiling as I got ready for bed and finally lay down to go to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Stephenie Meyer is the creator...I claim no ownership over what is hers

**A/N:** I know, I know, I make you wait so long and then post this short chapter. I'm sorry. Trust me, you don't want to hear all the gruesome details that includes holiday mayhem and in-laws. The next chapter should still be up tomorrow, so we can get back on our regular schedule with this thing.

Thanks so much for reading. I love hearing your thoughts about these two. I'd also appreciate any horrible in-law stories so I can start laughing about the events of the past week rather than sobbing. Yep, it was that bad.

Hope to see you all again tomorrow!

~SP


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

That night, I dreamed of James chasing me through the woods. No matter how fast or far I ran, he was always right behind me. I awoke in the morning breathing rapidly as if I really had been running for my life. The whole thing was really disconcerting. As I went through my morning routine, I couldn't get the images out of my head. James' eyes had reflected a rage that continued to terrify me long after waking. If he made bail, I didn't know what I would do. The thought of running away flashed through my mind. I knew that wasn't a viable option, though.

As I approached the bottom of the stairs, I realized my dad wasn't the only person down there. I could hear muffled voices coming from the direction of the living room. So, I headed straight into the kitchen. I really didn't want to get in the middle of or disturb anything. Someone being at the house at such an earlier hour likely meant something serious. I'd had enough of serious situations to last me a good long while, thank you.

So, I filled a bowl with cereal and milk while trying to block out the conversation in the other room. I could tell whoever Dad was talking to was male, but I couldn't discern who the voice belonged to or the subject of the conversation. And I was okay with that.

Just as I was rinsing off my dishes and preparing to leave for school, my dad appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. He did not look happy, which caused me to dread whatever he was about to say. He closed and opened his mouth a couple of times before he actually started speaking. It might have been comical if not for the grave look on his face.

"You're not planning on going to school today, are you?" he asked as if the very idea was ludicrous.

"Um, yes?' I replied with my voice raising at the end as if I were asking a question rather than making a statement. The thought of staying home alone certainly was not an appealing one. I had figured going to school would be safer anyway. At least there would be witnesses.

"I'm heading over to the courthouse, but I don't want you to be left unprotected. My deputy, Mark, is here to look out for you while I'm gone. You can stay home if you want." His words surprised me because he had seemed totally against the idea of me going to school just a moment earlier. I wasn't going to argue with him, though.

"I'd like to go to school, if that's okay? I just don't like the thought of sitting around here all day dwelling on what happened, you know?"

"Right, that makes sense. Well, Mark will follow you there and keep an eye on the place while you're there. Call me if anything happens, promise?"

I nodded and he hugged me tightly before leaving. Mark wandered into the kitchen and asked what I had decided about school. When I told him I was going, he seemed relieved. I wondered if he thought he'd have to sit with me all day if I had opted to stay home. Entertaining a teenage girl was obviously not his idea of a good time. I figured it would be especially unappealing when that girl happened to also be his boss' daughter. We exchanged cell phone numbers before heading out the door. Just as I was about to climb into my truck, he stopped me.

"Just make sure you have another student or a teacher with you at all times. Call me if you see anything suspicious or even if it's just a feeling of something out of place, okay?" he advised.

After I agreed, we made our way to the high school. Mark followed me closely and parked near my truck when we arrived, watching intently as I made my way across the parking lot. Once I was inside, I looked back and noticed he was slowly driving around the side of the building. I hoped he didn't get too bored.

Rose startled me by taking the seat next to mine in first period. She didn't say a word to me. She just sat there staring out the windows the whole hour. Pretty boy must have made her do it, I thought. I couldn't help smiling at the thought of him trying to protect me even though he wasn't there. He had sent me a text the night before letting me know the principal had changed his mind after my dad and I left and decided to suspend him for one day rather than give him detention. It didn't make any sense to me, but I tried not to think about it too much.

When the bell rang, Rose came to my side and walked with me all the way to my next class. She was taking her guarding duties seriously, apparently. I rolled my eyes as I took my seat and Alice immediately plopped down beside me.

"What are you doing? This isn't your class." I couldn't believe they would just let her go to whatever class she wanted.

"My schedule needed a change, so I was moved in here. Isn't it great? We have a class together now." She actually clapped a few times in excitement.

The rest of the day followed a similar pattern. Wherever I went, either Rose or Alice tagged along. Even though neither of them were in any of my afternoon classes, one of them walked me to each one, and one of them was waiting at the door at the end of each period. It was kind of getting annoying. I was so glad pretty boy would be back the next day. That was before I thought how about how much worse he might be than his friends.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just like to torture the characters she created...

**A/N:** Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday as planned. My little man suddenly got really sick last night, so my focus had to be on him. He seems to be doing a little better today. Hopefully, he'll be well enough to travel tomorrow because he's really looking forward to seeing his cousins this weekend!

Thanks so much for reading. I appreciate some of you even sharing in-law stories with me :-)

See you next week...There will be some James in the next chapter, just saying.

~SP


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

Just as I had suspected, pretty boy was much more overbearing than his friends had been the day before. It started with him showing up at my house early that next morning to pick me up for school. He and my dad even exchanged a few words about keeping me safe. I couldn't believe Dad was actually encouraging pretty boy to stay close to me.

"Is there something I should know?" I asked after listening to them strategizing about the best ways to ensure I stayed protected throughout the day.

"No, Bells. We're just being cautious, that's all. James is still locked up, but there's always a chance of that changing at any moment. He was denied bail, but his lawyer is appealing," my dad explained with his hand on my shoulder.

I shuddered at the thought of James winning the appeal. Pretty boy must have noticed my reaction because he was at my side in a heartbeat, reassuring me.

"I won't let anything happen to you, beautiful, I promise." His tone was resolute, leaving no room for argument.

I opted to just let it go for the time being. There was no point in arguing with either of them. The looks on their faces told me that much. At least James wouldn't get an opportunity to do anything even if his lawyer did manage to get him out of jail. My dad seemed certain that wouldn't happen, though, so I fought back the anxiety I felt whenever I thought of James being set free.

Everyone seemed to be watching us intently as Edward opened the passenger door of his car and helped me out of it. I wondered what the gossip mill was spreading about the reasons for Edward's absence the day before and for James' disappearance. Hell, everyone probably knew by then that James had been arrested. Did they know why? I guessed only time would tell. I wasn't about to ask any of them.

"We need to figure out third and last period. Those are the only two classes you don't have one of us, so I'm worried about those. Don't worry, though, I'll come up with something," pretty boy assured as he led me into the school.

His arm had taken up residence across the top of my shoulders after I had gotten out of his car in the parking lot and hadn't moved since. We were about to sit down in our first class, but he wasn't making any moves to detach himself. Without even hesitating, pretty boy reached out with the hand that wasn't resting on my shoulder and pulled my desk right next to his. The teacher looked up at the sound but didn't object. Somehow, pretty boy managed to get both of us in our seats without moving his arm off of me.

We walked to my second class the same as we had our first. Pretty boy didn't let me go until I was standing next to my chair and Alice had joined us. He reminded me to be careful and made me promise I would call him if anything happened. He'd even taken my phone out of my bag, set it so I only had to push a button and it would call him, and placed it in my hand telling me to keep it close. I rolled my eyes as he finally made his way out of the room. The bell rang a few seconds later, and I knew he would be late to his own class.

Third hour was only slightly different. Apparently, pretty boy had found someone he trusted enough to leave me with because a boy I didn't know met us at the door. He introduced me to my newest bodyguard, Jasper, before leaving me with him.

"You know, Edward has never asked me for help before now. It kind of surprised me that he called in one of the many favors I owe him. He must really like you," Jasper stated as we made our way to two empty desks next to each other.

"I don't know why he's being so overprotective of me. Maybe he just doesn't want his getting in trouble to be for nothing," I replied with a shrug. This conversation was making me consider things I didn't want to even think about, much less analyze.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's more than that." Jasper's comment lingered long after he had spoken.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer is the owner. I'm merely trying on her shoes...

**A/N:** I can't even tell you how much I appreciate all of you! It amazes me to see how many people are reading my stories. I love it :-)

So, what do you think Bella is going to do with Jasper's little comment?

Thanks,

~SP


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

Jasper was quiet for the rest of the hour. I kind of liked how comfortable I already felt around him. He seemed to know when to push and when to back off before he got punched in the face. Not that I had remembered to ask my dad to remind me how to throw a punch.

Maybe keeping a mental list wasn't such a great idea. With my luck, however, if I wrote out an actual list, someone would find it. Like I needed any more reasons to worry, right?

I may or may not have been a little disappointed when I walked out of the classroom and didn't find pretty boy waiting there for me. Jasper was standing right next to me and simply nodded in the direction of the cafeteria as if he had expected pretty boy's absence. He started walking, and I followed, feeling stupid for doing so but doing it anyway.

Alice joined us before we'd taken ten steps and attached herself to Jasper's side. The way the two of them looked at each other sort of made me envious. They obviously adored one another. Not that I wanted a relationship or anything. James had ruined that desire for me.

Looking back, I could pinpoint a lot of signs that I should have noticed while James and I had been dating. I couldn't even really figure out why I had gone out with him in the first place. Other than the fact he had been the first guy to approach me when I moved to Forks, and I liked how open he had been about his attraction toward me, anyway. Why I actually went out with him, though, remained a mystery. I hated knowing I'd been so easy to lure into his grasp.

I didn't get much attention from the boys in Phoenix. When I moved to Forks, however, things definitely changed in that regard. I felt like a shiny new toy or something. I never liked being the center of attention, but I did kind of like being noticed for a change.

James had almost immediately staked his claim and refused to let me go out without him in tow. He said he wanted to spend as much time together as possible before school started and things got more hectic. Now I believed it was more of a means to keep tabs on me.

"What's making you frown like that, lovely?" pretty boy asked, startling me out of my dark reverie.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," I heard myself respond before thinking about it first. It was probably the first time I'd simply given him an honest answer. I needed to keep my head in the game.

"When it comes to you, I want to know everything," he stated with seeming honesty.

I just shook my head in response, unwilling to trust myself to say anything else at the moment. Thoughts of James left me feeling vulnerable, and I didn't like it at all. The trio led me over to a table in the far corner of the room where Rose was already sitting. Much to my surprise, pretty boy took the seat right next to her, leaving me the choices of sitting across from him or on the other side of Rose. Since I was so mature for my age, according to my mother, I chose the chair next to her. If he wanted to distance himself from me, I certainly wouldn't make it difficult for him. I'd wanted to get away from him since the moment I had met him. The strange look he gave me as I sat down had me quite confused, though. He obviously didn't want to sit next to me, so why did he seem so concerned about where I did end up sitting? And men accused women of being the confusing sex. _Hogwash_.

Plan _ignore pretty boy_ was back in action. I didn't need his flip-flopping attitude or his overly beautiful face making life even more stressful for me at the moment. I had James to worry about, and that was more than enough.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Unfortunately, I don't own these characters. I do appreciate Stephenie Meyer allowing me to control their strings a little, though.

**A/N:** So sorry for the delay on this one! I won't bore you with the hows or whys, but I do plan on posting the next chapter Wednesday. I already have that one pretty much finished.

A big thank you to writtenbyabdex for pre-reading this and the previous chapter for me!

See you again in a few days :-)

Thanks,

~SP


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Ignoring pretty boy for the rest of lunch was exceedingly difficult. He seemed upset with me for some reason. Really, the guy was sending me such mixed signals. What was I supposed to do when he so blatantly sat somewhere that made sitting next to him impossible? I swear he was going to drive me to madness.

Didn't he realize how little experience I had when it came to interacting with my peers? Other than the brief stint with James, I had zero relationship experience. Other than a few acquaintances throughout my life, I really didn't have any friends. The closest I'd come to any sort of continued social interaction was over the past summer. So, I was sort of flying blind here. Good thing I had a plan.

Sticking to _the plan_ was surprisingly easy through the rest of the afternoon. Biology started with Mr. Banner putting in a video for us to watch, which meant no opportunity to talk. _Darn_. After that class, I was free of pretty boy for the remainder of the school day. His friends kept up the constant vigil, though, in his stead.

I stayed quiet as Rose walked me to my next to last class. She didn't say anything either, so it wasn't so bad. Alice was a little more observant, though, and I knew I would have a more difficult time distancing myself from her. When she escorted me to my last class of the day, I tried hard not to let on that anything had changed. She would realize soon enough that wasn't the case, but I just wasn't in the mood to try to explain my reasoning to her, or anyone else for that matter.

They were pretty boy's friends, not mine, and their loyalty belonged to him. As soon as they realized my intentions, they would likely shun me. It was better to keep my distance in the meantime.

Making friends had never been easy for me. I noticed that the few friends I had managed to make before the incident with James were ignoring me. I was almost certain their conduct had to do with pretty boy and his friends constantly following me around. They didn't do a good job hiding their envy or their ire, whichever applied. Some seemed to direct both emotions my way.

There was a good chance I would be lonesome after pretty boy finally took the hint and left me alone. My only hope was Angela. She hadn't treated me any differently than she had before pretty boy and his entourage started hovering. As much as I appreciated the gesture, I kind of resented it as well. That probably made me ungrateful or something. _Meh_, I'd been accused of worse.

As I made my way to the parking lot after school, I realized there would soon be a massive hitch in my plan. Pretty boy and I had to spend the car ride to my house together. He would likely not be pleased when he noticed I wasn't talking to him. Based on past behavior, I was slightly concerned about how he would react.

"Hi, lovely," he breathed into my ear, turning me into a puddle of goo. Seriously, why couldn't I get away from him and the feelings he provoked, even for like five seconds? _Ugh_!

"Hi, pretty boy," I murmured as my body began to tremble from how close he was standing.

_Shit, shit, shit_, did I really just call him pretty boy to his face? I needed a hole to open up beneath me and swallow me. There was no way he would let that go without making me explain. By the intense heat I could feel radiating off my cheeks, my face was giving away how truly embarrassed I was.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I think we all know by now who owns these characters. I'll give you a hint, it's not me.

**A/N:** I swear the universe was working against me getting this chapter posted today! Huge thanks to writtenbyabdex for pre-reading this chapter in a very speedy fashion! She has a completed story up called Through the Lenz which is a great story.

Some of you seem to be confused by Bella's behavior. She's seventeen and thinks every little thing is catastrophic. I remember feeling the same way about things when I was her age, lol. Also, watching my almost 14 year old step-daughter reminds me how differently we see things as teenagers. Bella's experiencing a lot of firsts right now and is extremely confused, thus her behavior is confusing. I hope that helps :-)

What was the most traumatic thing that happened to you in high school? For me, it has to be throwing up in the middle of class. I was devastated. Surprisingly, one of the jerks of my school came up to me the next day to tell me not to worry about it and that something similar had happened to him. It was such a nice gesture. I appreciated it and defended him whenever people bad mouthed him around me after that.

Thanks!

~SP


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

Surprisingly, pretty boy didn't even bat an eye when my nickname for him slipped out of my mouth. I really thought calling him pretty boy would have given him ample fodder to embarrass me, possibly for years to come. But he didn't even react.

_Huh_, I thought. Maybe pretty boy isn't such a bad guy after all. Not that I ever really thought he was. Other than the potential he had to make me fall in love with him, I kind of liked the guy. The problems with us becoming friends fell solely on my shoulders. Well, his weird possessive tendencies were a little freaky too. They didn't bother me so much, though, anymore. I was almost positive something in his past caused him to act that way, so I certainly wasn't going to judge him for it. It wasn't like he had hurt me or anything. He'd even protected me against James when Lord knew what the bastard had planned for me that day.

In typical pretty boy fashion, he slung his arm over my shoulders and walked me over to his car. He opened the passenger side door for me and smiled broadly when I looked up at him before climbing in. I couldn't help but smile in return.

On the way to my house, I noticed there was a police car following us. When I asked pretty boy about it, he simply shrugged and told me it was one of my dad's officers. Apparently, there was one assigned to watch me around the clock. According to pretty boy, the only time I wasn't being babysat by someone was when my dad was around. I so wished my dad would have filled me on that tidbit of information.

"That one's wrong," pretty boy stated, pointing to the math problem I had just finished. The thing had taken me a good twenty minutes to solve, so I wasn't exactly ecstatic to have him say it was incorrect.

"Oh yeah, and how would you know?" I asked sarcastically due to my irritation. I still hadn't figured out how he had talked me into letting him in when we got to my house or why I was allowing him to stay while we did our homework.

Sitting with him at my kitchen table was starting to feel way too domestic. I didn't like it one bit. Well, the problem was actually that I liked it a smidgen too much. I was trying to be more honest with myself since I figured out my dislike of pretty boy had little to do with him and more to do with me not wanting to like him. Which I had only discovered a few hours prior, so I was still adjusting, a lot. Hence, having him in my house was becoming too much for me to take.

"Never mind," he stated and got up from his seat. Ugh, cue the guilt.

"I'm sorry I snapped, okay? I'm just not in the best mood, and I worked really hard on that problem." I tried to explain my harshness without revealing the true source of my foul mood.

"Why are you always pushing me away?" he asked all innocent eyes and slumped posture. Yeah, resistance was futile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I argued while standing from my seat at the table. "How am I pushing you away? You're here, aren't you?" My hand was on my cocked hip to show I meant business.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> You got me, I don't own the characters or anything Twilight related.

**A/N:** Yay! Another on time update! *doing the cabbage patch* (if you don't know what that is, then you're probably too young to be reading this story, lol.

Huge thanks to writtenbyabdex for pre-reading this one for me. You rock :-)

Thanks to everyone who is reading this story, and special thanks to those who are even taking time to review!

~SP


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

For a few moments, pretty boy just stared at me like I had lost my mind. Hell, maybe I had. After all, I _was_ pushing away a perfectly nice guy who was also amazingly good looking. He seemed to genuinely care about my well-being, and he was going out of his way to ensure my safety. Damn, I could be stupid sometimes. Yet, I found I was unable to lose the bitch-brow I had going on or relax my posture.

"It feels like you're always one step from running away from me as fast as you can," he stated with a sigh.

"I am," I admitted and immediately wished I could take back my words.

"Why?" His question was barely more than a whisper, but we were standing so close to each other that there was no way I could pretend like I hadn't heard him.

"Because I'm scared, okay? I could barely stand James, but his actions still hurt. How am I supposed to deal with something like that if I truly like the guy?" Apparently, my mouth was no longer asking my brain for permission before speaking.

"Life is about taking chances. It's taken me a long time to figure out that hiding just ends up making life even more unbearable." For some reason I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that pretty boy knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Kids?" Charlie's voice called out, startling both of us. I couldn't believe neither pretty boy nor I had heard my dad drive up and come inside.

"In here, Dad," I called, not taking my eyes off pretty boy.

"Change of plans, I'm afraid. Bella, until further notice, you're on lockdown. Even school isn't an option."

"What?" I interrupted, white hot anger causing me to temporarily lose my senses.

"You are not allowed to leave this house until I tell you otherwise," he stated as if he hadn't just blown my world apart.

"Why? I don't understand." I wondered if I was being punished for something, but I knew I hadn't done anything wrong, especially not so much so that it warranted being placed on house arrest.

"Because I said so," my dad practically yelled.

Seeing there was no changing his mind, and realizing he didn't have any intention of explaining further, I turned and walked into the living room as quickly as I could without falling on my ass in the process. I really was trying not to have a typical teenage reaction, but it was difficult. I wanted to scream and stomp my foot in frustration. Dad was being unreasonable. He could at least have told me the reason for his outlandish demand.

"You okay?" pretty boy asked from somewhere behind me.

I just rolled my eyes and ignored his stupid question. Did he really expect an answer to that? A loud knock on the front door kept me from having to continue that internal debate. I heard Dad's heavy footsteps as he headed to answer it.

Most of the conversation was too muffled for me to make out what was being said. I sank into the couch, trying to figure out how I was going to handle being confined to the small house I shared with my dad. I didn't get too far into worrying about occupying my time before the voices in the foyer grew louder.

"I said not one is to stop until we know exactly where the bastard is staying. Why are you bothering me with this nonsense when he's out there somewhere?" My dad's voice thundered, causing realization to slap me in the face.

I saw pretty boy's worried gaze flash to mine before he covered the distance between us and wrapped me in his arms. Apparently, he came to the same conclusion I did.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Would you even believe me if I claimed to be Mrs. Meyer? No? I didn't think so...

**A/N:** Tune in next week for confirmation of what exactly that conclusion is... :-) As if you haven't guessed already.

Many Thanks,

~SP


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

"Dad?"

"Damn it!" His outburst and surprised tone let me know he had not intended for me to hear any of the conversation he was having with the person at our front door.

"Bella, maybe it's best if we turn on the TV and wait in here until your dad is ready to tell us what's going on," Pretty Boy suggested, gesturing toward the couch.

I figured if I was going to call him Pretty Boy in my head more than using his actual name, it deserved to be capitalized. Apparently, at some point, I'd gotten up and was walking out of the living room. My mind was probably not exactly where it should have been in that moment. I was trying to keep my thoughts from wandering too much to what I knew was being discussed about ten feet away. Dad was acting strangely, and there was obviously something seriously wrong. I didn't feel much like thinking about it, though.

So, I nodded to Pretty Boy and pointed out the remote to him and heading back to my seat on the couch. Going along with his suggestion, I turned my head toward the oversized screen and pulled my legs up against my chest, holding them close with my arms. I liked sitting like that whenever I was stressed out or wanted to be invisible.

Pretty Boy sat close to my side and pulled me even closer after wrapping his around my shoulders. His presence was soothing, and I found myself paying more attention to the show that was on the TV than whatever was going on with Dad. If there was something bad happening, and I was pretty sure there was, maybe it was better to delay the inevitable. I wanted to stay in my bubble for as long as possible. Turned out, that wasn't very long.

"Bells?" my dad's hesitant voice called from the doorway just a few minutes later.

I simply turned my head to acknowledge him. Getting up seemed like too much effort at the time. Not to mention how comfortable I was snuggled up against Pretty Boy. He was warm.

"Charlie, maybe you should just say it, like ripping off a band aid or something. She's kind of freaking out over here," Pretty Boy suggested. I was grateful that he was trying to get the show on the road.

"James's lawyer managed to find some loophole, and James was released into his parents' custody. The damn lawyer somehow got a hearing early this morning, so I didn't find out about it until I got to work. By then, it was already pretty much over," Dad explained from his seat on the coffee table. He was right in front of me, but it seemed to me like he was a million miles away.

My ears were ringing so loudly that I was starting to get a massive headache. I could hear my name being called but couldn't figure out which direction the voices were coming from. It was becoming rather disorienting. There was a thick fog clouding my vision, which seemed strange, and I kept getting waves that felt kind of like being dizzy but different. I couldn't quite find the words to describe the feeling. I had never experienced anything like it before.

I'm pretty sure that's the point I lost consciousness.

James was free, and I was certain he would do whatever he could to make sure he finished what he started. I'd seen the look in his eyes that day he tried to nab me. That was not the look of a rational man. He wanted me and had some misguided notion that we were still together. I could only imagine how much angrier he had gotten after being beaten up by Pretty Boy and then arrested. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be seeing him again.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> If I claimed to own it, would you even believe me?

**A/N:** Sorry, I really was set to post this earlier, but FFN wouldn't let me.

So, James is on the loose...Is Pretty Boy gonna let Bella out of his sight for even a second? Do you think she'd be okay with that? Hmmmmm...

In case you're interested, I'm on twitter and I always follow back :-) I like to share all the funny stuff my little man does and spew nonsense on there.

I'm feeling rather old lately. My little man is turning 4 at the end of the month. I swear, there is nothing like watching my kid grow up to make me feel older! Plus, he wants a 3D dog cake (that looks like our dog) and I refuse to pay $150, so I've decided to make one myself. I'm pretty stressed out about it. I'm pretty good with the baking aspect but not so much with the creative aspect. I called my mom in for reinforcements, so hopefully, between her creativity and my made fondant making skills, we'll come out okay. Wish me luck :-)

I do plan on updating again on Wednesday, so I hope to see you again then if not sooner :-)

~SP


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

I opened my eyes to the most ridiculous scene in the history of mankind. Before me, sat two grown men and two man-boys with the look of complete bafflement on their faces. Apparently, not one of the four knew what do with a fainting female. It was quite a sight to behold, indeed. I couldn't control the hysterical laughter that burst out of my mouth. My reaction only intensified their expressions of sheer horror.

"Bells? What the Hell?" My dad's voice broke through my hysteria and I was finally able to stop cackling.

"Sorry," I responded sheepishly.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, beautiful," Pretty Boy assured me.

"Why are you all here?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound like I wasn't grateful for their presence.

The more the merrier, I couldn't help thinking. The thought of James finding me alone scared the hebegeebes out of me.

"We headed over as soon as Charlie called to tell us about James being released," Billy explained while Jake nodded behind him.

Jake and I had gotten closer over the summer. He seemed excited that I was there to stay for the next two years. We'd always been friends, but it was hard when we only saw each other once a year. It was nice having him around more. He was one more reason I couldn't regret my decision to come live with my dad despite the current situation with James.

"We're going to work out a schedule so that you are never without at least two people around," Dad explained, and I tried not to flinch at the loss of my much coveted alone time.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it while I figure out what to make for dinner." I used my go-to excuse of making food to escape the room, hopped up from the couch and dashed toward the kitchen. I knew none of them would stop me from feeding them.

I could hear murmurs of their conversation but tried to tune them out as much as possible. To help keep my mind occupied, I chose to make chicken enchiladas. They weren't difficult, just time consuming and required using a knife, which I knew would help keep me focused. I had learned early that a knife and preoccupation did not a good combination make. So, I had conditioned myself to concentrate whenever I had a knife in hand. That came in handy now when I needed a distraction more than ever.

Just as I was filling the tortillas with the chicken and peppers I'd prepared, Pretty Boy walked into the kitchen. He looked stressed and had both hands buried in his hair. I felt bad that he was going through so much because of me. He'd gotten suspended and bruised knuckles out of the deal. What good thing had he gotten in return? Nothing worthwhile, I was sure. It just didn't seem fair because he had done so much for me.

"How are you holding up?" he asked gently. I was in awe of how he could be worried about me and how I was doing when he looked like he could fall asleep right where he stood.

"As good as I can be, I guess," I responded, trying not to sound as scared as I actually was.

Pretty Boy pulled me into his arms and I pressed my cheek into his chest. For the first time since this whole thing happened with James, I felt safe. For some reason, Pretty Boy was hell-bent on keeping me out of harm's way. I just couldn't understand why he cared so much about my well-being.

I shook my head as I moved away from him and his comforting embrace. I went back to finishing dinner. Pretty Boy just stood there, watching. It was kind of unnerving having him there, so close but not talking or touching. I could feel his presence just as well as I could see him standing there, and I hated how much I had come to depend on him for…well, everything.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Nope, I still can't claim anything _Twilight_ related...bummer

**A/N:** Yay! Finally, ffn is letting me post this chapter. I try not to complain too much when it's down, because it's free and lets me post stuff, but it was frustrating to have this chapter ready and be unable to do anything with it.

It did give my wonderful pre-reader - **writtenbyabdex** - time to get her two cents in, though, and that's a good thing. She gives great advice and I may have a tiny crush on her (or a big one, really). Her story **Through the Lenz** is pretty amazing too. I highly recommend it. Plus, it's complete. Win-win, right?

Thank you so much for reading. I can't tell you how great it is to see those traffic numbers going up, up and away. I also want to give out Thattagirl awards to those who have taken time to review. Some of you have even shared some great life lessons and more with me that make me smile like the Cheshire cat. I swear I love each and every one! I'm sorry I'm not better about replying.

Next week's update should be up on time, but I can't make any promises about the week after that. LM's party is next weekend and we'll have out of town guests through the Tuesday following, so I'm not sure how much writing time I will have. I'll try my best, though, promise!

~SP


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

The next morning I awoke with a start, strangling the scream that threatened to erupt and potentially disturb my dad. He was going through enough without having to deal with his daughter having nightmares on top of everything else. I just couldn't get the image of James' face out of my mind. He'd looked so angry that day, especially after Pretty Boy pulled him away from me. While unconscious, my imagination was taking things a step further, as if Edward had not made it there in time to stop James from hurting me or worse. It was not pleasant. I wasn't getting enough sleep, and I was tired. I had dark circles under my eyes, and my clothes no longer fit as well as they used to due to the weight loss. Eating was hard considering I didn't have much of an appetite anymore.

Even though I knew I wasn't allowed to go to school, I still got up, showered and dressed at the normal time. I didn't want all that was going on to affect my life any more than absolutely necessary. There was very little else I had control over at the moment. So, I refused to give up the few things he couldn't take away from me.

Dad smiled rather sheepishly at me when I entered the kitchen. I could tell he felt guilty about basically putting me under house arrest, but I also knew that he was only doing what he thought was best to protect me. How could I really fault him for that? He loved me. In a weird, twisted, roundabout way, it was kind of refreshing to see evidence of that. So, I tried to give him a warm smile in return.

"So, what's the plan for the day?" I asked, refraining from asking who my captors would be that day, which wasn't easy.

"Well, I took the day off, and Billy should be here in a few. Took all I had to convince that Edward boy he couldn't miss school. He was set on moving in, I think," Dad explained in between sips of coffee. He seemed to be fighting a smirk, but I couldn't be sure. His mustache covered most of his lips, making it hard to tell with absolute certainty.

I wasn't surprised to hear Pretty Boy was determined to stay with me as much as possible. He'd said as much the night before when he was leaving. He didn't want to go, but he didn't have much of a choice. Dad wasn't going to let him sleep over and neither were his parents. I almost expected him to sneak through my window or something during the night, but he didn't. For some reason, I was a little disappointed about that.

The day passed slowly while Billy and my dad spent their time catching up on games they'd missed. I tried to read but soon got bored because I wasn't really able to concentrate on the words. Part of the joy of reading for me was losing myself in the story. Normally, I would get so caught up in what was happening with the characters that I would completely lose track of time. It was great. Except, it wasn't working in the one instance when I needed it most.

So, I found myself reluctantly seated on the couch, watching ESPN with the guys until Jake finally showed up after school. Dad still wouldn't let me go anywhere, though. He was adamantly sticking to the whole I had to have two people with me at all times thing. I was seriously getting cabin fever already. It had only been one day, but just knowing I couldn't leave made me want to that much more. It sucked, big time.

Jake was awesome and kept me from thinking about my predicament too much by telling me hilarious stories involving him and several of the other guys I knew from the reservation. I was so thankful to have him around. He was such a good friend. It felt like no time at all had passed when I realized it was time to start making dinner. Jake stayed in the kitchen, helping out when he could. We were laughing and I was bumping his hip with mine, teasing him about his horrible dicing skills when I heard a throat clear behind us.

I turned around, startled by the sound, and found Pretty Boy leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, with an angry look on his face. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he was so mad about.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> This is really getting redundant, isn't it? You know who owns it, and it's not me...

**A/N:** So, do you want my many excuses for why this one is late? Yeah, I didn't think so. I am sorry, though, does that help?

My Little Man is 4! We made the cake and it was awesome! My mom was a great help to me, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without her. If you follow me on twitter, you can go check out a picture of it :-)

So, why do you think Pretty Boy is mad? :-)

I'm not sure if I'll get another one up tomorrow, but I will try.

Writtenbyabdex made this chapter better, and I thank her bunches!

Thanks all :-)

~SP


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

I looked up at him in utter confusion. Pretty Boy looked as angry as he was when he kicked James' ass. I didn't like him looking at me like that. It made my stomach churn and feel all funny. My gaze flashed to Jake, and I was amazed to see that he had an identical expression on his face. What the hell was going on with the boys in this house?

"Hi, Pretty Boy," I greeted in a light tone, hoping to diffuse whatever was going on with these two. He didn't even smirk a little bit at the use of his nickname, as if he didn't even hear me. "We were just making dinner, want to join us?"

"No, I don't think so," he stated gruffly before turning around and stalking toward the living room.

I slouched back against the counter, trying to figure out why everything just went to shit. Jake's self-satisfied grin wasn't really helping with my confusion. He appeared quite proud of himself, and I had no idea why. It wasn't like he did anything to help or to make things worse. He just stood there the whole time. So, why did he look so damn smug?

Throwing my hands up in the air, I growled in frustration and went back to making dinner. No way was I going to let that Neanderthal-acting seventeen year old boy ruin my evening. He could go take a long walk off a short pier or play in traffic for all I cared.

We all sat down to eat, and Pretty Boy was giving me the silent treatment. I could not make heads or tails over what I had done to make him so angry. He wasn't really to anyone. The only time he said anything at all was to insult Jake somehow. Granted, Jake did open himself up to several of the nasty comments that were thrown in his direction. Like when he said something about being a "little" something, and Pretty Boy suggested Jake was "little" where it counted most. To my amazement, Dad just sat there, eating and conversing solely with Billy as if the two teenage boys bickering at his table didn't exist. Heck, he was acting as if _I_ didn't exist either.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I got up, making as much noise as possible with the chair as it scraped across the old linoleum floor. Walking straight to the sink, I slammed down my dishes as hard as I could without breaking them. I didn't even bother to rinse them before I stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. Just in case any of them didn't get the hint that I was mad, I threw my door shut with as much force as I could. The resounding bang was even louder than I had hoped. I clicked the lock in case any of those idiots decided to try to come in and talk to me. They missed their chance.

Ugh, I was so frustrated with the situation and myself. I was acting like the typical teenage girl, and I hated it. The fact that Pretty Boy's actions affected me so much made me furious and act in ways I never had before moving back to Forks.

Several different times throughout the evening, there were knocks on my door. I refused to acknowledge any of them. Once the fists started pounding in agitation, I put in my head phones, turned the volume up as far as it would go and sat back against the headboard of my bed. Hours passed before I ventured out into the hall. I quietly crept to the bathroom and climbed into the shower. The warm water helped to relax my tense muscles and gave me a chance to just cry for a few minutes. The reality of my circumstances was crashing down around me, and I detested feeling so out of control. There was nothing I could do to prevent James from coming after me again, and there was nothing I could do about being under house arrest.

Once the water turned cold, I dried off and practically crawled back to my room. The weight on my shoulders was becoming too much to bear. I just wanted to go to sleep and forget about it all for a few hours. Not even sleep would give me that, though. I knew the nightmares would come soon after I drifted off to la la land. So, I stared into the darkness in the direction of my bedroom ceiling instead.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, however, because a noise at my window startled me awake. My eyes darted to the black glass. There was a dark shadow looming just outside, and I screamed in terror when I saw a hand reaching out to open my window.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Pop quiz- who owns it? Hint: It's not me!

**A/N:** WooHoo! I made it! So sorry I didn't reply to any reviews for the last chapter, but I figured you'd rather have a new chapter than a reply, right?

So...Bella is clueless, yes? True fact: I found out well after the fact that the guy I had a crush on for over two years in high school liked me too. Apparently, he thought I didn't like him because I always practically ran away whenever he came near. So, he never got a chance to ask me on a date. Sad, but true. I told you I'm shy!

Thanks everyone :-D

~SP


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty **

The black shadow moved into the faint light cast by the full moon, and I sighed in relief. With one hand still clutching over my rapidly beating heart, I got up to let Pretty Boy through the window. He flashed his crooked smirk before clambering into my room. His entrance was anything but graceful, and I had to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the giggle.

"Hey, don't laugh. You know you love this grand gesture I'm making here," Pretty Boy whispered as his cheeks reddened. The color only made him look even more attractive.

"I've just always thought you were so smooth. Oh, how the mighty have fallen," I teased him. For a few moments, I forgot my life was becoming a living nightmare and enjoyed his comforting presence. I really was flattered that he had gone through so much trouble just to see me.

"Shhh, woman! You don't want to wake Charlie, do you? He'll shoot me if he catches me in here," Pretty Boy whisper-yelled in response to my not so quiet teasing. He even put his finger over his lips when he shushed me. How could I not laugh at that?

"Sorry, sorry," I said quietly after I got myself under control again. He really was too funny standing in my room in the middle of the night all scared of the big, bad Police Chief.

"I've been so worried. I couldn't sleep not knowing for sure you were okay. I had to see it with my own eyes," he stated vehemently, pulling me into a bone crushing embrace. His actions startled me but comforted me as well. I really liked being in his arms.

We just stood there for a long while, him holding me tight. I could feel the steady thumping of his heart against my cheek, and the sound was like the sweetest lullaby. He cared. Despite the bickering and the misunderstandings, he cared. I finally got it. Pretty Boy was here, in my bedroom, in the wee hours of the morning, risking life and limb because he cared about me. Wow that really put things into perspective for me.

"You were worried about me?" I had to ask. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he really was acting under some misguided idea that he had to protect me simply because I was a damsel in distress and he was a gentleman? Damn me and my insecurities.

He pulled back just enough so that he could see my face. "You really don't see yourself clearly, do you? At first, I thought it was just as an act, but the more I got to know you, the more I realized you truly believe the things you say. There is nothing I want more than for you to see yourself the way I see you.

"You know, I barely talk to girls, and I certainly never approached one with the sole intent of getting to know her. I had to act fast that first day because I wanted to be the first guy at school to catch your eye. Once I saw you, I knew you were worth stepping out of my comfort zone for, and I was worried that if I didn't do something big right away to get you to notice me, I would be lost in the crowd of guys vying for your affections." Pretty Boy looked so sincere that I couldn't not believe the words he was telling me. It was extremely difficult to comprehend, though.

"I don't know what to say. This whole time I haven't known what to think in regards to you. It's going to take some time for me to trust what you're telling me," I admitted. The words were just coming out, as they usually did whenever Pretty Boy was around. He had a way of getting me to tell him things I never would have told anyone else.

"Time is all I ask for, just give me a chance to prove to you how much I care, okay? Stop pushing me away, Beautiful Girl," he requested, and I nodded. What else could I do? I figured it was the least I could do.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Does anyone even read these? I make no claim of ownership of these characters...

**A/N:** So, another on schedule update :-) What did you think about Pretty Boy's need to see Bella was okay?

The amazing Writtenbyabdex once again worked her magic for me on this chapter. Thanks, babe!

Thanks for reading and I hope share your thoughts. I love reading your reviews :-)

~SP


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One**

After almost a week of being locked down at home, I was finally allowed to return to school. Before I was released, Dad gave me a long lecture on safety and paying attention to my surroundings, and then Jake took me into the backyard to show me some basic self-defense moves that even I could manage. It was all a bit overwhelming, but I was too happy about regaining some freedom to let it bother me much. There had been no James sightings since he was freed. James' father insisted he was at home and accounted for at all times, even though he was never available to show his face whenever my dad went over there to see for himself.

It had been ten days since James was released to his parents' custody, but my protectors were not letting down their guard. I was kind of glad about that. I may have hated losing my independence, but I appreciated how much they cared about my wellbeing. James was smart and manipulative. I wouldn't be surprised if he was lurking in the shadows, waiting for his opportunity to strike. That fear kept me from complaining when Edward and Alice flanked my sides as I walked into school on my first day back.

Listening to the rumors surrounding my extended absence kept me entertained as the day passed and I made my way from class to class. Rosalie shocked the hell out me when she appeared at my side after second period. We had come to an understanding of sorts, but I never expected her to be one of my guardians. Not that I got a chance to comment on her presence because Pretty Boy waltzed up to us a second later. I shrugged my shoulders and let them lead me to my next class.

Lunch was interesting, to say the least. People I hadn't even met before were positioned around the table like sentinels. I was placed in a middle seat and was assured that even those sitting at the table behind me were there for my protection. I couldn't believe so many people were willing to change their routine just to make sure I stayed safe. Apparently, even Pretty Boy's brother, Emmett, had offered to come hang out at his old school but was told he wasn't allowed on campus since he was no longer a student.

"What's wrong, Beautiful Girl?" Pretty Boy asked from my side. I looked around in awe while I calculated how to respond.

"I'm just not sure what to think about all these people being here to ensure my safety. It's not something I expected, I guess," I explained as best I could, and Pretty Boy seemed to understand.

"You really have no idea, do you? With the exception of a few jealous harpies, everyone here likes you. You're a good person, Bella, and people can tell that about you. Plus, James wasn't all that well liked, mostly, so no one is excited about the idea of him showing up here." He casually draped his arm across the back of my chair as he spoke, causing Goosebumps to rise all over. Hopefully, he didn't notice my body's reaction to his gesture.

"I hardly know most of these people. I haven't even lived here that long. How can they care one or another about me?" I asked still baffled.

"Beautiful Bella, you are easy to care about," Pretty Boy whispered in my ear, and I quickly forgot what we had been discussing.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer is the one I admire for creating these characters. I'm just having fun with her creations :-)

**A/N:** I feel like I'm always apologizing :-( My hubs was so sweet to take my laptop in to get it repaired (the DC jack was cracked in half and wouldn't charge the laptop 90% of the time) but he neglected to warn me, so I didn't have any backup plan... I missed my poor laptop the week it was gone. The computer dude even insulted it by trying to tell hubs it wasn't worth the $100 it would take to fix it. I know it's not the best, but it's mine! Anyway, I'm sorry for yet another delay and hope to get things back on track now that I have a reliable computer again.

Thank you so much for your continued support of this story. I love every review you take the time to leave. I'm also amazed by the number of people who are reading this little story of mine.

Writtenbyabdex is so kind to preread for me, and I just can't thank her enough. She's posting her new story Shades of Gray which is an adorable Bella/Edward story. I highly recommend it!

I'm donating to Fandom for Autism so let me know if there's a storyline you're just dying to read, and I'll see what I can do. Right now, my plan is to write a first chapter for a new fic that I will continue on ffn in June. The only thing I know for sure at this point is that it will be a Bella/Edward pairing.

Thanks!

~SP


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two**

When I returned home from school that afternoon, I noticed a police cruiser parked at the curb next to our driveway. I was forced to wait on the front porch, with Pretty Boy standing guard, while Mark searched the house. Only when it was deemed safe was I was allowed to go inside.

Mark made his way out to his car to keep watch over the outside while Pretty Boy came in with me. He checked every room before he, too, was satisfied that James was not there. I tried not to get too annoyed. Instead of focusing on my frustration, I started working on my homework. Thankfully, I wasn't too far out of the loop, mainly because Pretty Boy had been getting my assignments for me. There were still a few tests to make up, but I was pretty sure I'd do okay on those. Doing well in school had never been much of a challenge for me. It was the social aspects of life that always threw me for a loop.

"So, how much homework do you have left?" Pretty Boy asked after closing up his books and putting them back in his bag. He was obviously finished with his school work for the evening.

"Oh, hmm, just a few more of these math problems," I answered, trying to concentrate on the numbers in front of me and not look up at his face.

I'd been pretending like my homework was the most interesting thing on the planet, doing my best not to pay attention to Pretty Boy and the fact we were alone. Since the night before, I found being around him even more flabbergasting. I really had no clue how to act around him now that I knew he cared. How much he cared was still a mystery, and I was afraid that I cared more than he did. It was all very new and confusing for me.

Emmett came home that next weekend and, _finally_, I wasn't the constant center of attention for a few blissful days. He had a very commanding presence that drew in everyone around him. It was so easy to just hang out around him. He also decided he was going to give me a change of scenery – his words, not mine – and took it upon himself to become a member of my ever-growing guard. Most of the weekend was spent with him, Rose and Pretty Boy, which could have been a disaster, but Emmett made it fun.

I even got the chance to get out of Forks when we spent most of Saturday in Port Angeles. Getting away from the questioning gazes and the over the top gossiping was nice. Not many people knew exactly what had led to James' incarceration, but a lot of people liked to speculate. Most had figured out I was involved, but no one seemed to know the hows or whys. I was grateful that none of those who knew seemed to be talking. Since James was already eighteen at the time of his arrest, it was public record. I was still a minor, though, so they couldn't include the information pertaining to me. That was one positive thing at least.

Rose was a breath of fresh air I certainly hadn't been expecting. Even though we had spent some time together, once she realized I wasn't out to hurt her friend, she loosened up quite a bit. I wouldn't call us friends, but I did appreciate her bluntness and no-nonsense attitude. With Rose, what you saw was what you got. I was glad to have her on my side.

"It's been two weeks and he hasn't tried anything. Please, I just want to go to the library without having to call the freaking National Guard to babysit me." I couldn't even recall the last time I had ever talked back to my dad, but I needed some alone time. Even though I was allowed to go back to school, I still had to have at least two people with me at all times.

"Bella, we've talked about this. I still haven't been able to confirm that James is staying put at his house. I have men driving by there at all hours of the day and night but not one of them has seen the boy. You will not be alone at all until James is accounted for, do I make myself clear?" Dad was practically yelling at that point, so I decided to give in for the time being.

"Fine, but can I go with just Jake?" I asked because I knew Jake would venture off to other sections of the library once he got bored watching me browse and read.

"You can take Jake and Edward or you can stay home." His expression let me know that was his final offer.

I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. That was not what I wanted to hear.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> S. Meyer is the creator of the universe...well, the TwiUniverse anyway. Me? I own two male cats who bathe each other with their coarse tongues.

**A/N:** Honestly, I never expected this story to be this long. The characters have just kind of taken over, and I'm now along for the ride. I do have the "pivotal" chapter all written (I wrote it a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...) but I have no idea when we'll get there. I'm thinking one or two more before we find out about Edward's past. But what do I know?

I love all the amazing words you all are sending my way. I swear they give me a warm, gooey feeling inside. So, I thank you even though those words just don't seem adequate.

My prereader, Writtenbyabdex, rocks! She can sew and knit like nobodies' business (what does that even mean?)! One day, I'm going to convince her to knit me some thigh high socks. How cool would that be?

So, I got two chapters out in one week to make up for my lack of update last week. That means you still love me, right? Right?

The _plan_ is to have the next chapter up on time, Wednesday, next week. *crosses fingers*

Thank you everyone!

~SP


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

Being in the car with two teenage boys was even more annoying than I expected. To make matters worse, there was a heavy layer of tension between the two of them. They barely even knew each other, so how could they possibly dislike one another so much? I was truly flabbergasted by their behavior.

Thinking I would be nice, I offered to sit in the backseat of Pretty Boy's car. Somehow, that turned into a whole huge debate. In the end, I climbed into the back driver's side door and ended the stupid argument. Really, Jake's legs were way too long for him to possibly be comfortable sitting back there anyway. If they had let me get a word in, I would have told them that. My decision had nothing to do with liking one more than the other. How they even reached that outlandish conclusion, I would never know. And men claimed women were the confusing sex.

The hour trip to the library in Port Angeles was nothing short of torture. I was actually starting to wish I were still at home. That was how bad it was. When we finally arrived, I huffed dramatically and headed to the front entrance without checking to make sure my sentinels were following me. I was beyond angry with the two of them and really could have cared less about them joining me. I hoped they kept their distance for a little while. Otherwise, I would be in jeopardy of being kicked out of the library for being too loud.

Luckily, the area I wanted was pretty desolate, so I was able to find a rather secluded table in a corner. It was so nice and quiet that I couldn't help but sigh out in relief. Within minutes, I was lost in a world of words. So that I was also being somewhat productive, I worked on my English essay in between searching for books to check out before we left.

It wasn't until I began to feel watched that I realized Jake and Pretty Boy were nowhere to be seen. Immediately getting anxious, I gathered my stuff, and the few books I wanted, before heading to the front desk. The librarian was busy helping someone else, so I decided to sit in a nearby chair and wait. Still, neither Jake nor Edward was in sight. I tried to relax and not think of worse case scenarios, but as the minutes passed, it became increasingly difficult.

Even being in a public place didn't make me feel any more at ease with the absence of my typically constant protectors. To make matters worse, I kept thinking I saw flashes of blond hair that matched James' color.

I pulled out my phone and tried to call Pretty Boy, but it went straight to voicemail. It definitely wasn't like him to not have his phone on at all times. Either he ignored my call before it even rang on my end, or something was seriously wrong. I couldn't figure out why he would send me right to voicemail, but I really didn't want to consider the alternative.

When the desk clerk became available, I opted to put off thinking by checking out the three books I'd chosen. That occupied all of five minutes. Instead of having a panic attack, I called my dad's house. The line was busy. I couldn't believe he still didn't have call waiting. Sitting there twenty minutes later with no sign of Jake or Pretty Boy and once again getting a busy signal and chanting, crap, crap, crap to myself, I began to freak out.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM owns Twilight. I make no claims of ownership of her characters.

**A/N:** So, I really did have this chapter ready to post, but then FFn wasn't working, so I decided to wait. Plus, I was hoping to give my prereader more time to look this one over, but sadly, she didn't get a chance yet. I still plan to post again on Wednesday :-)

So, things have taken a slightly scary turn for Beautiful Girl. I wonder what's up the her missing watchdogs...


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

At some point, I noticed a hand on my shoulder, but I was too far into panic mode to notice whose hand it was. There were murmurs of conversation going on around me, and I was pretty sure I should have been paying attention. I just couldn't. All I knew was that I had somehow lost my protectors. I was vulnerable and that scared me. I may have fused about losing my independence, but I knew that I was safer with a guard. I knew James was out there somewhere just biding his time. Now, he had the perfect opportunity. Yet, I was in no condition to even fight back or defend myself because I couldn't focus.

"Bells?" My dad shook me as he called out my name, and I wondered how many times he had said it before I finally heard him.

I blinked up at him, trying to determine how long I had to have been out of it for him to have gotten there. He would have been at least an hour's drive away. I was also curious as to who had called him and told him I needed him. I guessed my contact information was in the system, and the librarian certainly had access to it since I had checked out a few books earlier.

When he realized I was becoming at least somewhat aware of my surroundings, Dad handed me a bottle of water and told me to drink it. Absentmindedly, I followed his command. I relished the feeling of the cool liquid coating my dry throat. It was nice. When I finished drinking, I stood and wrapped my arms around my daddy's waist. He pulled me closer and tightened the embrace.

"There's my girl," Dad said gently as he patted my arm.

There were a few people watching me with worried expressions. I recognized the lady who had been behind the desk but no one else seemed even remotely familiar. Remembering the reason for my anxiety, I frantically searched the crowd around us, looking for two particular faces. They were still not there. I looked at my dad with wide eyes. Apparently, he immediately realized why I was freaking out again.

"I don't know where Edward and Jake are, Bells. They weren't here when I got here, and I haven't seen them. Edward's car is still in the parking lot." Dad's eyes suggested he was worried about them too.

There was no way James could possibly overtake either Pretty Boy or Jake. I knew that, but I was still scared for them. What if James had recruited help? Would anyone actually help him? It was a small town where everyone knew everyone, so I doubted many would be willing to take such a huge risk. The person had to be extremely stupid if he thought he could get away with helping James in any way hurt those two boys. Plus, we had been in a very public place, and it had been the middle of the day when arrived at the library and got out of the car. I was almost certain they had gotten out of the car when I had. The only thing I wasn't sure about was whether or not they made it inside since I had been too busy stewing in my anger to notice. Surely, anyone even attempting to do them harm would cause a scene. Jake and Pretty Boy had certainly proven they knew how to defend themselves.

Their disappearance didn't make any sense at all. I could tell my dad thought the same as he sat next to me, waiting for me to calm enough for him to leave me while he went to try to find them.

"Hey, kiddo, try not to worry too much. Those boys are smart and more than capable of handling any situation. Plus, Chief Smith here in PA is a good friend of mine, and he assured me they would start looking for them right away. He trusts my instincts, so he's not wasting any time on getting his men out there to search for your friends.

"Bella, are you okay, dear?" Edward's mom asked in a frantic tone as she rushed over to us while looking me over from head to toe. Her motherly instincts were in overdrive. I barely knew the woman, but she was hovering over me as if she were my own mother. "Don't you worry about those boys, now, sweetie. I just know we'll find them and everything will be fine." She wrapped me up in her arms and let me cry for a few minutes before she pulled back and wiped away my tears. "Now, let's go out there and see what we can do to help." She stood and held my hand as she led me through the large entryway of the library.

When Esme and I walked outside, my dad was standing on the front steps barking out orders to several men who were standing around him. I hadn't even noticed when he left my side.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Mrs. Meyer is the proud owner of the characters. I just enjoy taking over the puppet strings from time to time.

**A/N:** Better late than never? At least I'm only a day behind this time :-)

I know some of you are worried about Pretty Boy (although most of you seem to care less about Jake) but I promise not to drag this out much longer. This isn't an angsty story by any means. There are more fun times ahead, and even some alpha male showdown time! Thank you all for reading, and thanks to those who took they time to leave me their thoughts. I read and appreciate every review, I promise!

To Writtenbyabdex, I adore you and appreciate you not slapping me for sending the original version of this chapter to you in all its horribleness :-)

Thanks All!

~SP


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five**

Right about the time Dad finished his speech about where and how far to look (it reminded me of the one Tommy Lee Jones gives in that one-armed man movie with Harrison Ford), I heard a commotion coming from across the parking lot. There were several raised voices, trying to be heard over each other, making it impossible to understand any of them. Sheesh, people, way to make things more difficult, I thought. Obviously, I was beyond frustrated by that point.

"We've got 'em!" Finally managed to break through the cacophony of sound and make sense to my ears.

I was being dragged toward the growing crowd before my mind even registered something big was happening. At that moment, I could have sworn the crowd parted like the Red Sea in that one Bible story and revealed a very welcome, albeit not as welcome as it could have been, sight. There stood Pretty Boy and Jake, tattered, torn, and bruised. I rushed toward them like a bat out of hell and literally jumped into their arms. Both of them caught me at the same time. I was pretty sure they were also both crying into my hair as I cried tears of relief at seeing them both safe and alive. My mind had not been a nice place during their extended absence.

Then I slapped the shit out of both of them for scaring me like that. I didn't care what excuses they had for disappearing. They deserved to feel at least a small part of the pain I had been in all afternoon.

"What the hell, Bells?" Jake exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder as if I'd really hurt him. Well, I did hit him with the hand that still had the cast from the last time I'd hit him. So, maybe I had actually hurt him that time instead of the other way around. I smiled at the thought.

"Hi, Beautiful, I missed you too," Pretty Boy said while pulling me toward him. He winced a little at the movement, and I was reminded of my need to find out where they had been all day.

"Where have you been? Everyone has been so worried." Nope, I didn't admit that it was me. I threw myself in there along with everyone.

Finally, the two boys looked around and seemed to notice the large group of people standing there watching us. Yep, they had some explaining to do now. They had almost every available officer in the area occupied with looking for them, not to mention all the volunteers who had shown up when the news got out about the two missing teenagers.

"Shit, we didn't think. We saw James and took off after him. He got away from us, thanks to asshat over here," Pretty Boy explained, pointing in Jake's direction.

"What? How was that my fault? You're the one who was talking shit about me staying away from Bells when we should have been focused on chasing the guy," Jake retorted.

To my horror, they started pushing each other around and yelling about who was to blame for what. The testosterone was so thick in the air, I had to take a step back so I wouldn't start growing hair on my chest or something equally as gross. Within seconds, they were separated by a couple of the officers standing near them. Charlie was livid. He took advantage of them being unable to move by smacking both of them in the back of the head. By the grimaces they made, I could tell Dad hadn't held back when doing so.

"You two mean to tell me that you left my daughter alone to go chasing after a criminal? How stupid are you? Just so you know, several people stated they saw James in the library while you two yahoos were out supposedly chasing him." Charlie was pissed. I had never seen him so angry. I was adamantly ignoring the bit about James being spotted in the same building as me.

"He made it back to the library?" Pretty Boy asked in surprise. He and Jake both looked as if they were about to puke.

Esme came out of nowhere and grabbed Pretty Boy by his ear. I was amazed by the power she wielded with that one seemingly simple action. I would have to remember that one.

"You better tell us everything and hope Chief Swan doesn't throw you in jail for putting his daughter's life in jeopardy," Esme practically growled at him in a tone only a mother could master.

I tried to block the whole "putting his daughter's life in jeopardy" part. Reality was becoming all too real.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> For now and forever, Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight related...

**A/N:** Can you believe it? I'm actually updating on time! Thanks so much for being here. Thank you for the words you share with me. Please know I read and adore every one. Sorry there wasn't more ass kicking in this one as some of you wanted. There will be a little more (at least during the explanation) in the next one. :-)

Super thanks to Writtenbyabdex for pre-reading this in like five minutes while making meatballs to take to her kids' school. She is utterly amazing!

See you soon!

~SP


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six**

We all made our way into the library so we could get more comfortable while Pretty Boy and Jake accounted for their whereabouts during the past several hours. I almost laughed when Esme still held onto Pretty Boy's ear while she practically dragged him along. Jake wasn't fairing much better with his dad. His toes were constantly getting run over by Billy's wheelchair as he was pulled by a strong hand latched onto his wrist. Jake had to slouch way down just to be able to walk and keep up with his dad's quick wheeling. It was quite comical to see the two large males being handled in such a way.

Once a private room was made available for us, Dad started his interrogation. Edward and Jacob may not have been suspects, but he was treating them as if they were. He was relentless with his questioning and continued until he knew the details of every second they were gone. I was sitting there speechless as they rehashed the days' events. I couldn't believe they had been such idiots. Normally, they seemed like rather smarts guys.

According to their account, they spotted James as they were following me into the library. Since they figured I was safe inside the public building, they both took off after him. Jake accused Edward of showboating because he had gone after James first and told Edward to stay with me. Pretty Boy stated there was no way he was going to trust Jake to catch James, so he had ignored Jake's command. There was also some indication that Pretty Boy had issues taking orders from Jake in the first place. I suggested that if they ever decided to do something like that again, they should play Rock-paper-scissors to see who would stay and who would go. At least they both stopped scowling at each other long enough to give me incredulous looks. I thought it made as much sense as what they had done. _Whatever_.

After that part of the story, things got a bit confusing. Each boy had a slightly different view of events, and it was impossible to figure out exactly what happened because of that. Neither was willing to change even one aspect of his account, so we had to put the pieces together as best we could. I was pretty sure they both wanted the glory of catching the guy who was wreaking havoc on my life, and they definitely both took off chasing someone they very much believed to be James. Once they caught up to him; or didn't, depending on whose story was the most truthful, they proceeded to threaten him and push him around. When cornered by them, James lashed out, hence their disheveled appearance when they returned. Of course, that also could have happened, or been made worse by, the fight the two of them got into when they realized James had gotten away from them.

This was where the story got really muddled. Jake insisted he had a handle on James and was leading him back toward the parking lot when Pretty Boy ruined everything. Edward was adamant that he was the one who gained control of James, and it was Jake who was to blame for James pulling free from his grip. Either way, James escaped and they ended up fighting over who was at fault.

When Dad was satisfied there was no more information to gather from the two, he dismissed them and told them they were lucky James hadn't been able to get a hold of me during their escapades. His sharp words made them both take on looks of complete guilt, thus making my dad smile in gratification. His work being done, Dad turned to me and told me to get in his cruiser. There was no way he was letting me ride back with anyone other than himself.

The rest of that day and night was spent at home under constant watch. Dad didn't let me out of his sight except to use the bathroom. He even peeked in on me three times during the night, at least that I heard. I wondered if he had gotten any sleep at all. Over breakfast the next morning, he made me promise not to take any unnecessary risks and not to lose sight of my guards again. Reluctantly, he let me go when Pretty Boy showed up to take me to school that Monday. A cruiser was parked in front of the school when we arrived, and was there again, or still, when we left that afternoon. Dad was not taking any more chances.

I later learned that James' dad had been arrested due to failure to comply with the terms of James' release or something along those lines. All that legal jargon went right over my head, but I figured that was basically the reason behind his being locked up in the city jail. Apparently, James' mom had left town a few days after James attacked me and hadn't been back since. Dad said he talked to her a couple of times, but she really wanted to stay out of things as much as possible. She claimed she was staying with a sister in California and seeking therapy to help her deal with the guilt she felt regarding her son's behavior. I almost felt bad for her and was glad she wasn't around to see her husband taken away in handcuffs. I couldn't imagine that would help her feel any better about the situation.

That night Pretty Boy climbed in my window again. This time, I let him stay and hold me while I slept soundly for the first time since _the incident_.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Mrs. Meyer is the who owns the Twilight gang. I'm just trying to get initiated...

**A/N:** Hi everyone :-) Thanks so much for the continued support you give this story by reading and reviewing. Your words spur me on and make me trudge through the silent treatments the characters sometimes try to give me. They listen to your demands for them to talk to me more than they listen to me! Humph.

Writtenbyabdex shined her light on this one too. She is truly a blessing to me!

Thank you,

~SP


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

My bed felt too warm but it was a nice change. I had somewhat gotten used to the colder weather in Washington, but I still craved the warmth of Phoenix. So, waking up almost hot seemed like a luxury. I snuggled closer to the source of my comfort and started to drift back off to sleep. Then my heater moved. Startled, I sprang up and out of bed. Since this was me, I fell right onto my ass on the cold, hard floor. I should have known waking up all comfy cozy warm was too good to last.

"Oh shit, Beautiful, are you okay?" I heard Pretty Boy's voice asking, but my brain was still half asleep, so I was completely baffled by the sound of his voice coming from my bed.

I quickly looked down, relieved to find myself still dressed in the pajamas I'd worn to bed. It may have been a silly thing to check, especially considering I wasn't drunk or anything the night before, but it was the first thought to process through my sleepy brain. Pretty Boy's concerned repeat of his question regarding my state of well-being reminded me I needed to assure him I was fine.

"Just a bruised hinney, nothing major." I huffed in annoyance at my choice of verbiage. My mother used to always refer to my backside as my hinney when I was little, and I apparently regressed to childhood jargon when sleepy.

"Well, that doesn't sound like _nothing major_ to me. I happen to be quite fond of your hinney," Pretty Boy responded, laughing at my expense.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. Of course, that just made him laugh harder. For a moment, I fantasized about bashing him over the head with my cast. It was a pleasant image. Too bad I needed the idiot in top form to help protect me from James. I would definitely have to remember to get my revenge the second James was back behind bars. Hopefully, that would be sooner rather than later.

"What the hell?" Charlie boomed from my now open doorway, causing both Pretty Boy and I to leap up in surprise. Pretty Boy banged his head on the headboard of the bed, and I had to cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile.

"Good Morning, Daddy," I replied in a singsong tone as I took advantage of his shocked state and pushed past him. I made a beeline for the bathroom, closing and locking the door before either of them could react.

Pretty Boy was the one who decided to sneak into my room last night, so he could be the one to explain his presence to Charlie. I thought that sounded fair. Judging by the sounds that were coming out of my room, I guessed Pretty Boy disagreed. I didn't know his voice could even go that high. It was kind of funny. I decided to take a long shower to make sure he had plenty of time to explain the situation to my dad.

When I finally emerged, I was happy to find my room empty. I hadn't thought to take clothes into the bathroom with me, so all I was wearing was a towel wrapped around me. That would have been truly embarrassing for all involved, although I was almost certain my dad would have been the reddest of the three of us if they had still been in there when I returned. Charlie had a difficult time with anything that reminded him of my being nearly an adult woman. Sometimes I wondered if he would have been more comfortable if I had been born a boy. Not that he ever made me feel like I wasn't one hundred percent wanted by him. He really was a great dad. He was just a tad overprotective.

Finding Pretty Boy in my room that morning probably wasn't going to help me on the whole "I want more independence" thing. With James still being at large, I doubted anything was going to change that anyway. I got dressed and dried my hair before making my way downstairs in case I was in trouble. I'd already decided I was going to play the innocent card and say I had no idea the boy was in my room until I woke, hence my being on the floor when my dad found us. I thought that sounded believable. It's not like Pretty Boy would have left even if I had been asleep when he arrived. I had a feeling nothing would have convinced him to leave my room last night.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I own a finicky laptop and one with a broken enter key, but I do NOT own the Twilight kids...

**A/N:** A day late, and a dollar short... story of my life! I hope the chapter was worth waiting for? The next one is going to have Bella bouncing off the walls and Pretty Boy making grand gestures. I'm excited about it :-) This story is so much longer than I expected and I'm still not sure when it's going to end. These two are seriously taking over here...

I'm contributing chapter one of a new story titled Buying Happiness to Fandoms for Autism. I'll post the info on my profile page in case anyone is interested!

Writtenbyabex shared her mad skills and pre-read this chapter for me. She's also making me a banner for Buying Happiness. Woman, you are the butter on my toast and I heart you like crazy!

Keep sending me your words! I love reading every single one, even if I miss something like posting for your birthday :-( Sorry about that. My brain is a scary, disorganized mess!

See you next week!

~SP


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

I was grounded. No amount of pleading or begging on my part made a bit of difference, and Charlie was too livid to see reason. In a way, I understood why he was so upset, but seriously, it wasn't like we were doing anything untoward. Pretty Boy gave me a chance to get a good night's sleep. That was all. Of course, my dad wasn't buying it. He kept ranting and raving about remembering what it was like being a teenager and hormones running rampant. It would have been hilarious if I weren't so devastated. My freedom was already severely limited, and now I had none, zip, zero, zilch.

Pretty Boy was dead to me. I refused to acknowledge his presence and went out of my way to avoid him at all costs. I even let Dad take me to school in his cruiser. Everything was such a mess. I knew my reactions probably weren't rational, but I was so stressed out that I just couldn't be bothered with feeling bad about the way I was treating Pretty Boy. I knew I was mad at the situation and not him. There was no way I was admitting that to him though. I needed him to keep his distance and apologizing wouldn't help with that.

So, I moped around for two weeks while I waited for something to change. James continued to elude the police's best efforts at catching him, and I studiously kept Pretty Boy at arm's length. It was just easier that way. Charlie refused to lift the new restrictions, not even allowing me to go to the grocery store. It was the worst type of torture. Plus, I was so angry that I kept myself locked in my room most of the time. When I was at school, I was too busy dodging Pretty Boy to have much time for anything else. Angela was really the only person I trusted and talked to anymore. She was so sweet and understanding, letting me vent to her about all my problems. I probably would have gone insane without her around.

Luckily, Renee took pity on me and sent me a laptop. She refused to talk Charlie into loosening the chains, though. Apparently, she agreed with the old dude on that one. She claimed she was just worried about me and begged me to come live with her and Phil again. But their situation hadn't changed, so I didn't really see the point in that. She'd be back to being miserable whenever Phil traveled, and I'd go back to feeling guilty about it. Nope, I needed to stay put even if I was unhappy. I couldn't let my mom suffer because of me. That just seemed wrong to me.

I used my new laptop to research the cost of turning my room into one of those bouncy house things. Obviously, I didn't do well with being bored and actually started pacing my room when I ran out of other stuff to do. My mind was a mess of thoughts and images. I couldn't get it to stay quiet for any length of time. It was slowly getting to be more than I could take.

Then late one night there was an incessant tinkling noise at my window, but every time I looked out there was nothing there. It went on for at least fifteen minutes before my overstressed mind couldn't take it any longer. Without thinking it through, I stormed down the stairs and out the front door. It wasn't until I was standing alone in the dark that I realized my mistake. James could have been the reason for the obnoxious noise, and I could have just walked right into his trap. My body began trembling at the thought.

A hand on my shoulder sent me hurtling forward, screaming as loud as I possibly could. I felt the burn of the gravel from the driveway as my hands and knees hit the ground hard. I hissed in pain before turning around as quickly as I was able, certain I would find James leering over me. My breath left my lungs in a rush when I stared into two apologetic green eyes rather than the menacing blue I had expected.

"Oh shit, Beautiful, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," Pretty Boy exclaimed as he gently helped me up and examined my scratched palms.

My mouth opened to tell him what an idiot he was and how mad I was at him for scaring me like that, but then I noticed what Pretty Boy was holding in his free hand. There was an audible click when my jaw clamped shut in surprise.

"Wha…what are you doing here?" I asked with a huff, remembering that I was avoiding him, even as my hand reached out to accept the beautiful gift. His resulting smile nearly took my breath away.

"You won't talk to me and run from me like I'm the boogeyman anytime I'm around. This was the only way I could think to see you," he explained, holding out the bouquet of wild flowers and handing them to me.

No one had ever given me flowers before.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Nope, nothing changed here - SM still owns the kids...

**A/N:** I won't bore you with my long list of excuses. I'm just happy I have a chance to get this posted now! I hope you're not too upset with me!

Apparently, I scared Writtenbyabex when she pre-read this one for me. Did I scare you, too?

Do you think the flowers will be enough to break through Bella's resolve? Me thinks she's afraid of getting hurt but doesn't want to admit it, even to herself :-) Keep him at arm's length keeps you safe, right? Silly Bella, I wish it were that simple...

Thanks!

~SP


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

After the shock wore off, I realized Pretty Boy was watching me with an odd expression. It was getting kind of annoying that I was so inept at dealing with these increasingly awkward situations I found myself in with him. Even though James was an asshole, he at least never left me wondering what I was supposed to do or say at any given moment. He pretty much dictated our short relationship. It may not have been healthy, but it wasn't so damn confusing either. Everything was black and white. I needed a handbook on dealing with Pretty Boy and his sweet gestures. Hell, throw one in that instructed me on how to deal with all aspects of being around boys.

"Thank you for the flowers," I muttered, hoping that was the correct response.

"You're welcome, Beautiful."

Then I remembered he was the source of the obnoxious noise that had caused me to leave my nice comfy, cozy bed and venture out into the cold night. I would have slapped him, but I was in enough pain as it was, plus I didn't want to do any more damage to my already broken hand. I was so close to getting this stupid cast off. My hands were really starting to bleed from the spill I took when Pretty Boy scared me half to death. Ugh, great. The smell was permeating the air and making me nauseous. The palm on my left hand was all scraped as were the fingers and knuckles of my right. Without explanation, I stomped past Edward and went inside to search for a first aid kit. Charlie kept one in practically every room, so it wasn't a long search. I found the one under the kitchen sink and sat down at the table to tend to my wounds. Of course, Pretty Boy wasn't going to let me go that easily.

"Let me see your hands, please."

"I can do this. Trust me, I have lots of experience tending to my own injuries." _If only I had as much when it came to dealing with boys._

"You can't bandage both hands. Once you get one taken care of, you won't be able to do anything with the other."

He was right, so begrudgingly I let him take over. I kind of liked the feeling of him holding my hands, but I wasn't going to let him know that. With apparent practice, he patched me up and gently kissed each hand before placing them on the table. The stinging was almost gone, and I was surprised by how neatly the bandages were wrapped. If I had done it, they would have looked a mess.

A loud "ahem" startled both of us, causing me to nearly fall out of my chair. Thankfully, Pretty Boy caught me. Unfortunately, that just seemed to make my dad even angrier.

"I thought I told you not to sneak in here anymore, boy." Dad fixed his hard glare on the back of Pretty Boy's head.

I watched as a cocky smirk spread across Pretty Boy's face. He should have been quivering in fear, right? My dad had just caught him in our house in the middle of the night, and it wasn't the first time he was there when he shouldn't have been. Not that Pretty Boy ever acted the way I thought he should or expected him to.

"Actually, Chief, I promised I wouldn't sneak into her room anymore. You didn't say anything about the rest of the house."

His actions may have stunned me, but what happened next shocked the hell out of me. My dad huffed but then smiled. He patted Pretty Boy on the back and said, "I guess you're right there, son. I'll have to make sure to be more specific next time."

After forcing me to take a couple of pain relievers, Dad and Pretty Boy ushered me off to bed. When I left the kitchen, they were both sitting at the table, talking like old friends. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the sight.

I could have sworn I had just gone back to sleep when there was a loud knock at my bedroom door, waking me from a nice dream. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, though, because I had been dreaming about Pretty Boy. I really needed to so something to get that boy out of my head.

I opened the door to two very unwelcome guests: Alice and Rose. I became even more unhappy with seeing them when they told me why they were there.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I don't own the Twilight bunch, but I do own two worthless laptops...

**A/N:** So, I wonder why Alice and Rose are there and what their plans are for Bella. Maybe they'll help us clear a few things up about these two and their strange ways?

Thanks so much for continuing on this crazy train with me. I have no idea how many more chapters there will be. I do know how it all ends, though, unless these two mess with my outline...again.

Thanks to Writtenbyabdex who pre-read this one for me! She is so great with the details! She also made me an awesome banner for my contribution to Fandoms4Autism. The link can be found on my profile page!

Much Love!

~SP


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

I shut the door in their smug faces. They may have talked me into going shopping, but I refused to be happy about it. I had a feeling this outing was about more than just clothes and female bonding. The secretive looks they shared worried me more than the thought of shopping all day did. Those two almost always had ulterior motives, especially when it came to me.

When my PJ bottoms skimmed down my legs, I hissed in unexpected pain. Looking down, I noticed my knees were scraped up much like my hands. I would have to make sure to give Pretty Boy hell for these as well. That might teach him to scare a girl nearly to death in the middle of the night when he knew she'd be on edge due to the fact some maniac was after her.

I tended to my newly discovered wounds before doing my best to place new bandages on my hands. They certainly didn't look as good as they had when Edward had done them. I sighed and went to my closet, hoping to find an outfit that the girls would let me leave the house in that also covered my knees. I found a pair of comfortable jeans that weren't so tight that they would rub against my injuries but still tight enough that I thought they would pass Alice and Rose's scrutiny. Luckily, my favorite shirt with extra-long sleeves was clean, so I pulled it on to complete my ensemble Dressing around my cast had been difficult enough, adding my new injuries to the equation was almost too much.

I went downstairs to get the day started and hoped the girls wouldn't be too hard on me. After Alice insisted on "fixing" my hair, we made our way out to Rose's ostentatious car. The bright red paint made it stand out that much more in our small town. As much as Rose loved her car, though, she wished her parents spent more time with her rather than buying her expensive things to make up for their absence. She'd confessed as much the last time we hung out together. It still surprised me that she and I ended up getting so close. Not that we were BFFs or anything, but we were enjoying getting to know each other better.

"So, Bella, what's going on between you and Edward?" Alice asked almost as soon as the car started moving.

"Um, nothing," I stated questioningly, unsure how to respond.

"Oh, please, Bella. We know he came bearing gifts last night. You at least gave him a smooch for his efforts, right?" Rose asked, causing me to blush with both embarrassment and anger.

"Well, since you seem to know so much, why don't you tell me what's going on?" I wasn't exactly happy with the subject of conversation. Did Pretty Boy really expect a kiss for his actions? Ugh, I had no idea.

"Edward talks to me, yes, but he doesn't tell me everything. He came to me all upset because you weren't talking to him. I simply gave him a few suggestions. He really hated the thought of you being mad at him." Rose really was such a good friend to him. It was hard to stay aggravated with her knowing she was only trying to protect him, although I hated the thought of him sharing so much with her.

"Look, Bella, we're not here to interrogate you or anything," Alice started as we made our way toward the mall entrance after a too long hour filled with just the sounds coming from the radio. "It's just that we worry about Edward. You're the first person he's shown any interest in getting to know in a long time. He usually avoids people as much as possible. We like you. We really do, but we can't help being concerned about him, too."

"Let me explain, Bella, before you get all grumpy," Rose interjected, apparently noticing the scowl that was making its way onto my face. "Edward had a rough childhood and has been through more than most people have to deal with in a lifetime. I won't go into specifics, because it's his story to tell or not tell, but I think you should understand a few things. Edward had something very horrible happen that ended up in him being placed in foster care. Then, when he finally thought he'd found a new home, that was taken away, too. When he was placed with the Cullens, he barely spoke at all. It's taken years for him to get as comfortable as he is with them.

"He acted out a lot when he first moved here and got into a lot of trouble. All anyone had to do was look at him the wrong way, and he'd go off. It wasn't pretty. It's also why most of the school tends to stay away from him now. Anyway, like I said, he doesn't really get close to people. He only let me in because of my connection with Emmett…"

"And the fact she stood up for him when no one else would," Alice added.

"Yes, I guess he kind of realized I wasn't going anywhere and accepted that. Alice just kept pestering him until he finally caved."

"I didn't pester him." Alice pouted.

"Whatever. I hope you can forgive us for being so overprotective of Edward, but we also don't want you getting hurt."

I looked at her, quirking my eyebrow in question. Why would she be worried about me?

"He's a great guy, but he still has issues when it comes to acting appropriately sometimes. He lets his emotions get out of hand, and he worries way too much about those he cares about. He has his reasons, but it can get a little overwhelming if you're not used to it. He's scared of losing people," she finished and we were quiet for a while.

Their words kept repeating on an endless loop through my head. Though they had given me a ton of information, they hadn't given me many details regarding what had happened to Edward, and that concerned me more. If it wasn't horrendous, they would have just told me, right?

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM still owns. I still don't.

**A/N:** I hope the longer length made up for the delay... So, maybe Bella will give Edward a break every once in awhile now? Or maybe even admit to herself that she likes the guy? Hmmm...

Writtenbyabdex totally rocks! Her suggestions always make things so much better. She only complains a little when I don't get chapters to her on time, too. :-)

Most of you seemed to really like Charlie's reaction! I'm so glad. He's really a great dad. He just needs a little time to adjust to suddenly having his teenage daughter living with him. He's a lot like Edward, only older :-) We'll get to see that more in the next few chapters.

Thanks for sticking with me!


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

School became even more monotonous as the days passed with no progress on catching James. It was hard to have zero alone time. Dad had even started checking in on me at various times during the night. He was so worried that James would find a way to get to me that he barely slept. Some nights he even allowed Jake or Pretty Boy to sleep on the couch downstairs. Dad's actions definitely had me on edge as well. If he was that concerned, I knew I was in real danger. When Renee and Phil showed up on my doorstep one afternoon, I knew things had finally gone too far. I wanted to strangle James with my bare hands at that point.

Pretty Boy had stopped incessantly following me around, choosing to do random patrols around the school instead. He seemed restless, and I noticed he was having a hard time focusing in the classes we shared. The dark circles under his eyes matched the ones my dad and Jake were sporting. I had never felt so completely helpless before in my life, and then, my classmates had to go and make it that much worse.

"So, Bella, how did you convince Edward to pretend he likes you? Did you pay him or something?" Lauren asked after settling down in the chair next to me. We still had a few minutes before class started, and Pretty Boy hadn't yet made it into the classroom. He was probably out looking for any signs of James, giving Jessica and Lauren their chance to swoop in like two vultures fighting over entrails on the side of the road. They disgusted me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shrugged and took my text book out of my backpack, pretending their words had no effect on me.

"Edward is so out of your league. You should have picked Eric or somebody more believable. Even James realized you weren't good enough and started hooking up with Victoria. Then you had to screw that up for her somehow, and now you're trying to take our chance at having Edward. You're so pathetic." Jessica actually sneered as she spoke.

"Just leave me alone and go crawl back into whatever hole you've been hiding in for the past month, okay?" I refused to look up at them as they continued to hover.

"Lauren, green is so not your color." Rose's voice surprised me and caused me to jerk my head up in response.

She glanced at me just long enough to notice my glassy eyes before turning back to the girls who had been harassing me.

"I'm not wearing green." Lauren laughed, but I could tell it was forced. She seemed to be leery of Rose's intentions.

"You're such an idiot. It's obvious that you're just jealous of Bella. And you should be." With a few flicks of her wrist, Rose shooed Jessica and Lauren away from us. They scattered as if they couldn't get away fast enough.

I couldn't help laughing at how she had handled them. "Thanks, Rose, I appreciate you getting rid of those two harpies for me."

"Why did you just sit there and take that shit?" She really didn't get it.

"I don't do well with confrontation. Besides, they weren't saying anything I hadn't thought myself. I have no clue why Edward pays me so much attention and seems to care about my safety. It really doesn't make any sense."

"Isabella Marie Swan, I never want to hear you put yourself down like that ever again! Edward _cares_ about you. He wouldn't be so hell-bent on keeping you safe if he didn't. Now just accept that fact and let's move on, shall we?"

Arguing with her seemed pointless, so I just nodded my head in acceptance.

"Thata girl. Here comes your boy. Give him a big smile and watch his reaction. That should tell you all you need to know." She patted my hand before heading off in the direction of her own class.

When Pretty Boy sat down next to me and looked over, I did exactly what Rose had told me to do. His face lit up like a freaking Christmas tree. It was kinda beautiful, and I couldn't take my eyes off him.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight gang...not me

**A/N:** So, some of you are not exactly excited about how things have been going in the last few chapters...I hope this one spiced things up a bit for ya. Things are going to pick up from here, I promise!

Writtenbyabdex is helping me map out the remaining chapters for these two, and I don't know what I would do without her support, advice, hugs...she's the glue that holds me together when I'm almost too stressed out to post another chapter. It's hard to put myself out there by sharing what I write. Mix in a little anxiety disorder, and you have yourself a nervous Story!

Thanks for sticking with me :-)

~SP


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two**

My cast was finally coming off, and Renee insisted on going with me to the doctor. While we waited to be called back, she noticed the six words Pretty Boy had written on the black surface all those weeks ago. I may have inadvertently drawn her focus there by rubbing my finger over the words: _You're nothing short of my everything_. It had become somewhat a habit ever since he wrote them there. Mom questioned me relentlessly about it, but I refused to give her any information. I was already upset enough that she was hovering. Since when did she have any maternal instincts? Her actions were not ones I was used to from her. For some reason, it annoyed me that she was suddenly there and acting like the mother she should have been from day one. Now she refused to go home, vowing to stay until James was found and arrested. _Whatever._

I was surprised to see Dr. Cullen walk through the door to the exam room. He gave my mom a nod of acknowledgment before turning to me and explaining the process of removing the cast. It was, apparently, more of a big deal than I originally thought that my wrist had been secured in a cast for six weeks. I was worried about the prospect of adding physical therapy to my schedule. Luckily, Dr. Cullen was pleased with how everything looked once the case was off. I was a little sad about losing the words Pretty Boy had given me, but the thing smelled way too nasty to keep. After giving us a list of care instructions, Dr. Cullen asked to speak with me privately while my mom took care of any necessary paperwork.

"Bella, I know Edward has been spending a great deal of time at your house. Please make sure to let either Esme or I know if he becomes a nuisance. I don't want him wearing out his welcome or making you uncomfortable."

"I will."

I wanted to ask questions about why everyone close to Pretty Boy seemed to think I needed protection from him. I wished I could just come out and ask him what happened before the Cullens adopted him, but I didn't think that would be such a great idea. Besides, I wanted him to tell me but only when he wanted me to know, if he ever did.

When it came to Pretty Boy, it was getting harder and harder to convince myself I didn't care.

Renee dropped me off at Charlie's with a hug and a kiss, which took me off guard. I still wasn't used to these new displays of affection. I was starting to like them, though, and that worried me. She would leave as soon as James was behind bars, and I'd be left craving that attention. Maybe it was part of some new therapy or whatever she was giving a go this month. The constant shifts of focus, I was plenty used to when it came to my mom. Next month, she'd be on to the next latest, greatest thing and would completely forget her devotion to this month's priority.

Pretty Boy was sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. He didn't seem to notice my approach, so I took the opportunity to really look at him. Typically, I was too worried about him catching me to do more than glance in his direction. He was handsome, in a beautiful sort of way. That was undeniable. His hair was always an artfully arranged mess, which I knew was because of a tendency to run his hands through it and not because he spent any time styling it that way. His jaw line reminded me of those marble statues I'd seen in pictures. He was tall and tone but not lanky or overly muscular. Not for the first time, I wondered what he looked like beneath the jeans and long-sleeved shirts he always wore. I blushed just at the thought of the possibilities. I was helpless. I shook my head and decided to make my presence known.

"Hi, whatcha doin'?" Apparently, that was the best I could come up with on the fly.

"Hi, Beautiful Girl," he greeted in return, a smile overtaking his features as he lifted his head. I hadn't noticed the change in expression around me until Rose pointed it out. It was kind of obvious, and made me wonder how I ever could have not noticed it. "I was just waiting for you to see how your appointment went."

"Oh, um, it was fine. It's weird not having it on anymore. I wasn't expecting that." I held my arm up for him to see.

He gently wrapped his fingers around my wrist. It was noticeably smaller than the left one, and I was a little embarrassed to have him see how puny it looked. I was worried it smelled badly too like the cast did. I hadn't even thought to sniff it. One more thing to be worried about, I supposed. His fingers distracted my wayward thoughts when they started moving across my skin. His soft touch felt so nice.

"We need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM is the creator of the Twilight gang. I'm so glad she lets me play with her characters!

**A/N:** Maybe we should just move the update day to Thursday, huh?

Thanks for sticking with me and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate every single one of you!

Writtenbyabdex worked her magic for me once again. Thanks, pretty lady :-)

~SP


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty Three**

Wide-eyed, I quickly pulled my arm away from his gentle grip. Weren't those breaking up words? Didn't "we need to talk" really mean "I'm about to break up with you" or something as equally bad? But Pretty Boy and I weren't in a relationship, so he couldn't be ending anything, except maybe our friendship. That thought sent me falling into the nearest chair. Was he about to tell me we couldn't hang out or be friends anymore? Damn it, I was a mess.

"Shit, it's nothing bad, Beautiful. Don't look at me like that. You're killing me with those freaked out, sad kitten eyes." Pretty Boy was holding me in his arms before I even realized he was moving. "I swear I just want to talk about a few things. Good things, I hope." The last two words were whispered, making me wonder if he was nervous too.

"Good things?" I tried to slow down my breathing so I didn't start hyperventilating or anything.

"Yes. Well, I think they're good anyway," he told me with a smile on his face. I loved his smile.

"Okay, let me figure out dinner and we can talk after. Is that all right?"

"If you let me help, it's a deal."

So, Pretty Boy and I made a simple Mexican casserole for dinner and went into the living room to wait until it was done baking. Dad was watching some sports show and Pretty Boy was quickly absorbed in whatever the commentators were talking about, he and Charlie sometimes discussing things they heard. I sat back and tried to relax for a few minutes. It was actually quite nice sitting here with two of my favorite guys. Hopefully, this wouldn't be the last time we were like this.

When the timer beeped indicating dinner was ready, I went back into the kitchen, getting out the casserole before setting the table. Dinner was nice, too. Everything was nice. Which was why I was so concerned about whatever Pretty Boy wanted to talk about. Maybe what he thought of as good things wouldn't be good things to me. Based on how I typically treated him, he probably thought not being around would be a good thing to me.

After Charlie went up to his room, I found countless chores that couldn't wait until later to be finished. There was a spider web in the corner of the kitchen ceiling that I had never before noticed. The laundry in the washer had been left sitting all day, and I was sure it smelled a bit funky, so I had to rewash it. The baseboards in the living room and entryway looked atrocious. I didn't even know the last time they had been cleaned. It was about the time I kneeled down with a bucket of warm soapy water to wash the kitchen floor by hand that Pretty Boy intervened. He didn't seem to agree with my demands that the linoleum needed immediate attention.

"Bella," he called, dragging out my name in a rather whiny tone.

"What?" I used the same drawn-out whine he had, but it sounded pathetic when I did it. _So not fair._

"Can we please talk now?"

"Fine!" I sounded like a petulant child, but I couldn't help it. I felt like I was about to walk the plank or something.

"Come sit with me?" He held out his hand for me to take and led me over to the couch. Once we were seated he continued. "I've wanted to tell you this for a while now, but it just never seemed the right time. I'd planned on waiting until this James shit was behind us, but I just can't wait anymore." He ran his hand through his hair before turning to me and taking my hands in his and rubbing his thumbs across my knuckles.

"I like you, Bella, and I want to be more than just your friend."

"Huh?" Well, that certainly wasn't what I had been expecting.

"May I try something?"

All I could do was nod, wondering what on earth he wanted to try.

"Don't move."

Then his lips were brushing against mine. His hands came up to cradle my face and pull me closer to him. My eyes fluttered closed. This was way better than nice. Good. This was perfect. Pretty Boy didn't want to break up. He wanted more. I was pretty sure I could handle more, especially if it meant more kisses from Pretty Boy.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Guess what...I still don't hold any rights to the Twilight kids. They all belong to the lovely Stephenie Meyer. I am anxiously looking forward to the movie _The Host_ and hope she really does finish the sequel to that book.

**A/N:** I loved your comments from the last chapter. Did you think this is what Pretty Boy was going to say? He sure surprised the heck out of me! I didn't think he'd find the courage to just come and tell her, much less kiss her right after. Go Pretty Boy!

**Writtenbyabdex** is the wind beneath my wings. Seriously, this woman has me wrapped around her little finger. She's done so much for me and I have no idea how I'm ever going to thank her enough. Check out the banner she made for my contribution to Fandoms 4 Autism - it's on my facebook page and my blog. The links are on my profile. I made sure they were the full links in case you still can't just click on them. You can still copy and paste them to get you there.

Thank you, everyone, for sticking with me and these two crazy kids :-)

~SP


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty Four**

Holy molely! I must have done something right in my life to have earned this perfect moment. The feeling of Pretty Boy's lips on mine was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and I would have been absolutely content to stay locked like this for the rest of forever. His lips were so soft as they gently caressed mine. Then, he freaking put his hands on my waist and pulled me closer, crushing his lips to mine. I may have moaned a little when he did that. He was so good at kissing . . . too good. Did he have experience? Shit, I never thought to ask him whether or not he'd ever kissed anyone before.

"How many girls have you kissed?" The question came out as more of an accusation, and my voice was raised, which I hadn't really intended. But the second the thought of him kissing some other girl or _girls_ came into my head, it took hold and wouldn't let go. I pulled back abruptly and the words spewed out of my mouth. It was kind of embarrassing, but I wanted to know the answer too badly to even try to take them back now.

"Oh, um . . . one?" His questioning tone didn't instill much faith.

"Are you sure you've only kissed one other girl besides me? You don't sound sure."

"No."

"No, you're not sure, or no you've kissed more girls?" My left eye was starting to twitch. I probably looked crazy.

"No, I've only ever kissed one girl, _including_ you."

_Oh_.

Oh!

"Really? Cause you're really good at it, and it's hard for me to believe that's the first time you've ever done it." Seriously, my left eye was spazzing like mad. I could barely see out of it.

"You think I'm a good kisser, Beautiful?" His voice was totally cocky sounding, and the way he was looking at me made my knees tremble.

I licked my lips, and his eyes turned a darker shade of green. I blinked to make sure I wasn't just seeing things. Nope, they were still forest green rather than their usual jade color. Weird.

"So, you and Edward, huh?" Jake asked as soon as we were left alone in the kitchen after dinner.

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just shrugged my shoulders.

"And Charlie's okay with it?"

I nodded really unsure why he seemed surprised that Charlie might actually be all right with Pretty Boy and I being more than friends. It's not like we had even defined our relationship or anything, just that he wanted _more_ whatever that meant. I had the feeling he was more of a take one thing at a time kind of guy. Plus, I was so uneasy about the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing since James. I was content to just go with the flow, and I didn't like Jacob questioning it or making it into a bigger deal than it was. We had only kissed that one time, well several times but all in that one night. We hadn't even talked since. He'd been mysteriously absent from school and he hadn't called or anything. I tried not to read too much into his absence.

"Look, I know it's not really my place to say anything, but I just need to know that you know what you're getting yourself into with him."

Huh?

I looked at Jake with a raised brow. Confused didn't even begin to describe how I felt.

"Haven't you ever noticed how most people in this town give him a wide berth? How most people seem a little afraid of him?"

I nodded for him to continue. I had noticed these things, especially at school.

"He used to get in fights all the time. He was suspended from school so many times for fighting that Dr. Cullen had to pay off the principal or something to keep him from being expelled. That's what I heard happened anyway. It makes sense considering how many times he's gotten in trouble for it. He beat Paul to a bloody pulp two years ago and had to go to some anger counseling or whatever. He's bad news, Bells."

I couldn't reconcile the Pretty Boy I knew with the Edward Jake was describing. It did explain why most of our classmates shied away from him, and why no one said anything when he was rude like he had been to Lauren that day in the cafeteria. Paul was freaking huge and scary. Suddenly, my dinner wasn't sitting so well in my stomach.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM is the creator of the Twilight gang. I make no claim of them...

**A/N:** Hello, Lovelies! So, we're getting the meat-n-taters part and big stuff is happening next chapter. I envision maybe five more chapters, but I thought this story was only going to be fifteen chapters, so what do I know?

Writtenbyabdex has been a big help to me on this one and I just can't thank her enough! She is a whole batch of awesome.

Thanks so much for being here!

~SP


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty Five**

By the time I went to bed that night, I had decided not to jump to any conclusions. Pretty Boy deserved a chance to defend himself, and it would be wrong for me not to give him at least that much. Plus, I really couldn't handle the thought of him not kissing me again. So what if he had anger issues, right? As long as he kept kissing me, I could probably live with that. Besides, he had never been violent with me. The only time I saw any evidence of him possibly having a temper was when he saved me from James, but that was completely justifiable. Well, he may have hit him a few more times than absolutely necessary, but the jerk deserved it.

I snuggled into the warmth of my bed and drifted off to sleep, thinking about soft lips and green eyes, only to be awoken sometime later, rubbing my eyes, wondering why I was awake. Then, I heard the reason. The sound was familiar and made my heart skip a beat. I looked toward my window just in time to see a shower of tiny pebbles hit the glass. Throwing on my robe and slippers, I quietly snuck out of my room and down the stairs, anxious to find out why Pretty Boy was visiting me in the middle of the night once again. I hadn't seen him in a couple of days, and I'll admit I was starting to get a bit concerned. Being kissed only to have the guy go MIA wasn't great for the ego.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, I listened for any indication I wasn't as stealthy as I believed. Silence. I did a mental fist pump and headed toward the front door. Slowly and as quietly as possible, I unlocked and opened the door. As an afterthought, I turned on the porch light. It was way too dark outside, and I needed some source of light to be able to see, even if it meant giving me away.

The stars were bright thanks to a rare absence of clouds, but it was still eerie with all the shadows created by the surrounding trees. Once the darkness was broken, at least slightly, by the yellow glow, I closed the door behind me and made my way to the steps. It was starting to get cooler at night, and I was thankful for the forethought I'd had to grab my thick robe. I pulled it tighter around me and glanced around the yard, looking for Pretty Boy.

Instead of spying Pretty Boy, I was shocked to feel strong arms wrap around me from behind, a hand covering my mouth before I could even think to scream. At first, the scene was so like the last time that I didn't notice the arms were not those I expected. It wasn't until a voice spoke in my ear, warning me to be quiet, and a strange chemical smell caused my nostrils to flare in irritation that I realized how monumentally wrong I had been.

For some reason, I couldn't focus. Everything around me was becoming fuzzy and staying awake was getting difficult. I struggled to stay conscious, knowing that there would be no way to defend myself if I couldn't stay alert.

"It didn't have to be like this, you know. We could've done this without all the theatrics, but you just refused to cooperate. Then you had those guard dogs with you all the time. Do you know how hard it was to stay hidden when I saw you kissing one of them? Although, it did give me a way to get to you, didn't it?"

His words slurred at the end. Either that or I was losing the battle to stay awake. I really wasn't sure which. Black spots started appearing in my vision as he continued to tell me how he had been spying on me the whole time. How he hid in the trees day and night, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Apparently, my stupid, compulsive actions had provided him with a most opportune moment by blindly rushing outside in the middle of the night.

"Please!" I was pleading for something, but I couldn't quite remember what.

I was vaguely aware of an arm wrapping around my shoulders while another lifted me beneath my knees. The motions made me feel as if I were floating in air. I wondered if this was what it was like to fly. It was a weightless kind of wonderful. As I drifted amongst the clouds, I wondered if Pretty Boy would kiss me again soon and if Charlie would give us a hard time if we started dating one day. I would bet a date with Pretty Boy would be nothing short of spectacular. He was probably a romantic and would go all out planning an extravagant experience when a simple dinner and movie would totally suffice.

There was some shuffling followed by a humming noise that helped lull me into a sense of complete peace. For a brief moment, I was vaguely aware that I should have been fighting against this feeling, but I just didn't have it in me. Giving in was easier. Easy was good. Easy was calm. Easy was oblivion. Easy was denial.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer went through the pain of labor, I'm just babysitting her kids.

**A/N: **Some of you were really concerned about how Bella was going to react to what Jacob told her! I hope she surprised a few of you with her waiting for an explanation from Pretty Boy before freaking out :-)

Your reviews from last chapter were completely amazing, almost as good as kisses from Pretty Boy! I can't put into words how much you being here each week means to me! It shocks me each and every time.

Huge thanks to Writtenbyabdex for working her magic once again on this one. I swear the woman is a tweaking genius! :-)

Thank you!

~SP


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty Six**

It was still dark, and I had no idea how much time had passed since I'd stupidly walked out my front door in the wee hours of the morning believing something wonderful was out there. Either it hadn't been that long or I had missed an entire day because as my vision began to clear, and I took in my surroundings, I realized it was still pitch black outside. I also noticed I was in an all too familiar car. Unfortunately, I had let James lure me into his backseat a few times, but luckily, I hadn't let him do anything more than kiss and hold me during those lapses of judgment. When I inevitably pulled away before things got carried away, he always responded with an understanding tone, telling me he would wait until I was ready. Having Victoria waiting in the wings to take care of his needs probably had something to do with his unlimited amounts of patience.

"Oh, good, you're awake. I was worried I mighta used too much."

"Where are you taking me?" Hey, it was worth a shot to just come out an ask him. I picked at a loose thread in the dark brown interior as I waited for his response.

"We'll be there in a few minutes. Don't worry, sweetheart, you'll like it."

A few moments later, I felt the car come to a stop before James yanked me out of the car. My hands were now tied behind my back, making even standing up more difficult than usual. He half dragged, half carried me toward a cabin looking building. From what I could make out in the dim light, there was nothing but trees all around. I knew I should have been terrified, but I was mad more than anything else. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Taking me from my home where my dad, the Chief of freaking Police, slept right upstairs and telling me that his actions were _my_ fault? That I was the one who made this difficult by refusing him? He was the obsessive stalker who kidnapped teenage girls and took them out to a cabin out in the middle of fucking nowhere!

So, I waited for my chance to make him regret ever messing with me. And, James being the incompetent moron that he was, I didn't have to wait long.

He pushed me against the wall of the cabin and reached into his pocket. After a few moments of fumbling, he pulled out a set of keys, which he promptly dropped. As he searched the shadows of the front porch, I struck and struck hard. My knee came up with as much force as I could muster and slammed right into his face. I felt a small sense of accomplishment when bone crunched against my leg.

Immediately, he dropped to the wooden planks of the porch. There was a gruesome amount of blood pouring out of his nose. It was like a scene out of one of those action movies Charlie was so fond of. And my knee hurt like a bitch. I was pretty sure it was bruised at the very least. But, damn, it felt good to see the damage I'd caused.

I ignored the insults he hurled into the otherwise quiet night as I made a run for the car. Once I got in and made sure all the doors were locked, I realized I was nowhere close to being free. My hands were still tightly secured behind my back. Opening the car door hadn't been too hard, but trying to maneuver my arms was. Those movies had made it look so easy to just whip them under your legs, and voila, you were liberated. The car keys dangled from the ignition, taunting me. No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not get close enough.

A loud thwack on the window next to me let me know my time was quickly running out.

"Do you really think you can get away from me? Maybe you think Cullen will come to your rescue? The only reason he did anything that day in the parking lot is because it reminded him of what happened to his mommy. In fact, he was balling like a little baby and calling for his mommy the whole time. He doesn't give a shit about you. He never has and he never will."

"Shut up!"

"You really thought he liked you, didn't you? Aw, how pathetic. Cullen is an asshole. Ask any guy that's been on the end of his fist. It's a long list, so you won't have to look far."

"I said, shut up!" I wished I could put my hands over my ears, so I wouldn't have to listen. I didn't want to doubt Pretty Boy or his sweet kisses.

_This is the second time someone has accused Edward of being violent_, I thought. No! I couldn't afford to think about anything other than how I would get myself out of this mess. There had to be a way to get out of here, just far enough to get someone's attention and call my dad. Daddy would fix everything.

James stood to his full height outside the car, wiping the blood from under his nose and around his mouth. The sick bastard was smiling. What the hell?

"You're so cute when you're all mad and trying to fight me off. I can't wait to show you how much fun we are going to have together." His smile turned sadistic as tears began to fall.

"Please, James, just let me go and we can pretend none of this ever happened. I'll tell everyone that I took a walk and got lost." _That is, if anyone has even realized I'm gone_.

"Oh, Bella, don't you know by now that I'm never going to let you go? I love you, sweetheart, and your place is at my side. Always."

I threw up in mouth a little.

With seemingly little effort he smashed his elbow through the window and unlocked the door from the inside. He grabbed me by my ponytail and dragged me out of the car. I clenched my teeth in an effort not to scream. I had a feeling if he knew how much pain I was in, he would get some sort of sick, twisted satisfaction out of it. Even though he claimed to have feelings for me, I questioned his methods of acting on those feelings. As a last ditch effort, I kicked out and was surprised when I actually managed to hit the car horn. The loud honk was the last thing I heard before my nose and mouth were covered, that horrible chemical scent invading my senses once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, not me...

**A/N:** So...Bella is in a bit of a pickle. Aren't you glad I left it there? :-D

There were some really lovely reviews for last chapter, and I truly wish I had more time so I could have responded to each and every one. You rock! I really do appreciate the time you take to read and review.

Writtenbyabdex deserves special thanks for helping me through my crisis with this chapter. Without her help I don't think I ever would have finished it!

Thanks,

~SP


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter Forty Seven**

Foggy. It was so freaking foggy. I blinked a bunch of times, trying to clear the fog from my eyes. It didn't really do much except mix the gray with brown.

Brown.

Brown interior.

Shit!

I shot up, banging my head on the steering wheel in the process. I was back . . . or still, I couldn't remember, in James' car. I tried to figure out where James was, but it was so hard to see anything past the tinted glass of the windows. Plus, it was still so dark outside. I did notice the keys were no longer dangling from the ignition. I twisted until my tied hands could reach the knob for the headlights. A sigh of relief escaped when they actually turned on. I wasn't sure if they would work without the engine running.

After a few agonizing seconds, I adjusted to the brightness and noticed James crawling around on the porch.

The key!

He had dropped the key to the cabin when we first arrived, and apparently, he still hadn't been able to find it. Not that his current distraction would help me get of there. He was already shooting glances in my direction since I basically shouted out the fact I had regained consciousness. Maybe turning on the headlights wasn't the best idea after all.

My mouth tasted like ass, and I wondered what the hell he used to knock me out and why it didn't seem to last as long the second time. The chemical smell lingered in my nose and I could taste it on my tongue from when he shoved the rag in my face, twice.

Of course, there were more important things to think about at the moment. Like how I was going to escape.

Suddenly the trees lit up all around me, and James jumped to his feet. He started running toward the car as I frantically tried to get my hands up high enough to lock the door. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough. He pushed me aside and climbed into the driver's seat, but when he reached out to close the door, a large hand grabbed and stopped it just before it shut. James was yanked out of the car, and once I recognized who the hand belonged to, I couldn't help feeling a little smug about the way James was being treated. He certainly deserved it.

My dad had found me. Thank God.

The yelling and scuffling continued but I was being pulled into a warm, tight embrace that I immediately recognized as Jacob's. Relief washed over me, and my body collapsed against his. When he noticed I couldn't return his hug, he turned me around and quickly untied the rope binding my hands. The look on his face told me better than words ever could how hard it was for him to stay there with me when all he really wanted to do was go kick the shit out of James. So, I snuggled closer to him, letting him know I needed him there with me. I couldn't stand the thought of him fighting James. That could lead to issues later that he didn't deserve to have to deal with. He continued to hold me as James was handcuffed and led toward my dad's police cruiser.

I called out for Dad to wait. There was something I wanted to do before James was hauled off to jail.

As Charlie turned around, bringing James with him, I took the opportunity to knee the asshole in the nuts. My dad laughed as he shoved a sobbing James into the backseat, managing to make sure his head hit the roof of the car twice before finally making it inside. I had never been so happy to see that monstrosity of a vehicle. I would gladly let him take me to school every day and drop me off right in front of everyone from now on if he wanted. All that mattered was that he and I got more time together. I would get to see my mom again. And Pretty Boy.

After slamming the car door, Dad pulled me toward him, looking me over for signs of injury before hugging me a little too tight. It was nice, though, to be able to hug him, so I didn't complain.

"You did good, kiddo, turning on our porch light, honking that horn, and turning on those headlights all helped us find you." He turned to look at Jake and the other men there behind him. I hadn't even realized there were others. Every office of the Forks Police Department must have been there, not that there were many, along with several other familiar faces. I was amazed that so many people had grouped together just to find me.

I shrugged in response to my dad's praise rather than admit I had voluntarily left the house and had only turned the porch light on so I could see a little better. The horn and headlights, I would take full credit for, but they never should have been necessary. It was so stupid of me to rush outside without making darn sure I knew who was out there waiting for me. I was scared of how my dad would react when he learned the entire truth and how foolish I had been. Before we could discuss anything further, he noticed the rope burns on my wrists. His eyes widened and darted in the direction of his cruiser. He handed me over to Jake and headed back toward his cruiser.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Stephenie Meyer is the proud owner of the Twilight gang.

**A/N:** How many are glad Bella got another shot in on James? I think some of you will be surprised that it wasn't Pretty Boy who rescued her :-)

Sincerest thanks go to Writtenbyabdex for putting up with the my insecurities with this chapter and looking it over for me a second time even though she was supposed to be out of commission. She's also the reason for the chapter ending here...I was going to keep going, but she suggested I leave it here. :-D

Thanks for reading! The reviews for the last chapter were pretty awesome too. I appreciate each and every one of you!

~SP


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter Forty Eight**

We were driving somebody else's truck, and I was unhappily sandwiched between Jake and my dad in the bench seat, while Deputy Marks drove James in Dad's cruiser. I was still perplexed over finding out his name was Mark Marks and a little distracted in general. When I finally realized we weren't heading in the direction of home, I turned to question my dad. After the whole being taken against my will thing, I didn't like the not knowing.

"You didn't think I wouldn't have you checked out right away, did ya?"

"Dad, I'm fine. I told you I was fine." I was exasperated, tired and just wanted to crawl into my bed to hide for a while. I wanted to put this whole nightmare of a night behind me and pretend it never happened.

"You were drugged, Bella. Please don't fight me on this, okay? 'Sides, we need to collect evidence, test your blood and stuff, ya know?"

"Fine," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest to let him know I wasn't happy about it.

A man in a white doctor's coat paced at the hospital entrance and came jogging toward us as soon as we stopped. Really, I shouldn't have been surprised by Dr. Cullen's presence. I should have known my dad would call him to ensure he would be there when we arrived, even if he had to call him at home.

As we piled out of the car, I watched James being hauled out of the car that parked behind us. I involuntarily tensed at seeing him again so soon. I hadn't expected him to be there.

"Don't worry, kiddo. He's just being examined as a precaution and will be under lock and key the entire time. After the doc gives the go ahead, he's going straight to jail." My dad put his arm around me and helped me out of the truck.

After being forced into an awaiting wheelchair, I was pushed inside and met by a whole freaking team of specialists. Apparently, they were concerned about what James had used to knock me out. I could admit I was pretty curious about that myself, so I let them poke and prod while they ran tests, knowing there wouldn't be so many of them it weren't for my dad demanding it to be so.

My dad produced a handkerchief they found in James' car that smelled all too familiar. Once they were almost certain it was the one James had used to knock me out, one of the many people swarming me immediately took it to the "lab". During the added commotion, an IV was stuck in my arm and some inhaler thing stuck in my face with wispy vapors pouring out of it. After the breathing treatment, they strapped an oxygen mask to my face so that I could breathe clean air for a while. At least the nurse attending to me was kind enough to explain things as the white-coated doctors fluttered about.

In a way, I understood all the concern, but I was still grumpy and wasn't up for answering all their questions. My patience had nearly reached its limit. So, when Pretty Boy forced his way into the room, I may not have been in the best place to respond to his presence. I may have said a few nasty things that I didn't really mean just to take out my frustration on someone. He happened to have made himself an easy target when he strode in, despite the protests of the hospital staff, and started demanding answers as to what happened.

Who in the name of all that's holy did he think he was? Did he really think I would act as if nothing had happened between us? Did he really think I would just let him waltz right back into my life as if he hadn't been avoiding me for days? As if he hadn't kissed me only to go MIA. Oh, hell no.

Before I could get too carried away with my tirade and say even more hurtful things, I noticed one of the nurses plunge a syringe into the tube of my IV. I watched as the fluid, slightly different in color than the other liquid in there, made its way to my arm and disappeared into my skin. The nice lady explained that I'd had quite an ordeal and my body needed a chance to relax and rest so it could recover. I wanted to be angry when I realized she'd just sedated me. I tried to scowl at her, but my face didn't seem to be responding right. After a few failed attempts, I decided it didn't matter. In fact, nothing really seemed important, and I welcomed the waves of calm that quickly swept through my veins. I really liked the warmth it brought with it. Everything could wait indefinitely while I enjoyed this nice cushy, cozy, fluffy feeling.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I'll give you three guesses who owns it...hint, it's not me.

**A/N:** Some of you were wondering about Pretty Boy's whereabouts, so there he is. Maybe it was better that they sedated her, huh? The next chapter is 90% written (and has been for awhile now) because it was one of the first bits I wrote. I know a lot of you are wondering about Edward's past, and we will get answers! I do warn ya, though, it's a touch graphic. Nothing too major, and mostly snippets, but just wanted to put that out there so you're prepared.

Super duper thanks to Writtenbyabdex. She is so awesome and amazing and helpful and I just want to hug her bunches :-)

Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, alerting, favorating (look, I made up a word!) and just plain being here. I promise I read every single review and so wish I had more time to respond to them. It means the world to me that you care enough about these two that you keep coming back to see what happens next.

I adore you!

~SP


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter Forty Nine**

For the next two days, I was kept in the hospital and watched around the clock. They were concerned about possible side effects from the chloroform James had used on me. My dad told me they'd discovered he researched the internet for recipes on making the chemical cocktail and it seemed he had made it himself. Like I didn't already have enough to be freaked out about.

After several attempts, I no longer had the strength to really care that they refused to let me go home. It did feel kind of nice to have the chance to just be lazy for a change. There wasn't anything I could do about it anyway, so I decided to make the most of being forced to stay in bed. I slept. A lot. I'd been so stressed over the possibility of James jumping out of every bush or somehow getting to me, that sleep had been elusive for far too long. Getting a chance to catch up on all the missed opportunities to just relax was pretty priceless. It also gave me an excuse to basically ignore everything and everyone for a while. Anytime someone other than Dr. Cullen or one of the nurses came in, I would pretend to be asleep.

When I was released, it was with the understanding that I would take it easy for a few days. I was under strict orders not to return to school for at least a week. Alice assured me that she would get all my assignments and bring them over to me so I wouldn't get too far behind. She had all the same classes as me, anyway, just at different times, so it wouldn't be a big inconvenience for her. I wasn't exactly looking forward to going back and dealing with the gossip again, either. Most of my classmates had known each other since kindergarten, so it was understandable that they'd want to side with someone they'd known forever over the new girl. I promised myself I wouldn't be too devastated if I was ostracized upon my return. The aftermath from his first attack had been bad enough. I could only imagine how much worse this one would be.

I'd been home for mere hours and already bored out of my mind when Pretty Boy started banging on my door. I ignored him for as long as I could, but after three days, I realized he wasn't going to give up until he saw me. He came inside without waiting for me to invite him in and immediately started begging for me to give him a chance to explain his side of things. Of course, he was almost impossible to refuse, as usual, so once we were face-to-face, it hadn't taken much for him to convince me to go with him to his house. He promised he would explain everything there and hoped I would be able to forgive him after I knew the whole story. I hoped so too. I really missed him.

Edward led me into his house and approached Esme who was occupied in the kitchen. She turned and immediately enveloped her son into a tight hug.

"I want to show Bella the box, is that okay?" Pretty Boy questioned quietly.

"Are you sure, dear?" she countered, looking back and forth between the two of us.

"Yes, she needs to know," he stated simply.

Esme nodded tersely. "If you're sure, Edward, would you like me to help you get it down?"

He nodded in agreement and followed her out of the room. I stood there, fidgeting nervously, unsure what to do while I waited. I jumped at the sound of the door off to the side of the kitchen opening. Carlisle entered, looking around as if trying to figure out what I was doing there alone.

"Hi, Bella, how are you?" he asked kindly even though I could tell he was very curious about the whereabouts of his family.

"Esme and Edward went to get a box," I offered, still not knowing what exactly was happening.

"Oh, I see," he said, looking toward the door Esme and Edward had disappeared through a few minutes ago. The anxiousness reflected on his face match what I was feeling. "Well, I figured it was only a matter of time before he told you. May I ask a favor of you?"

"Yes," I answered, even though I wasn't certain I would be okay answering whatever question he was about to ask.

"Will you try to stay calm while he tells you? I know that sounds strange, but if he thinks he's scaring you, I'm not sure how he'll react."

"I'll do my best," I promised only a little relieved that was all he was asking of me. His question certainly managed to add fuel to my unease regarding whatever Edward was going to reveal when he returned with this mysterious box.

"Thank you."

Just then, Esme and Pretty Boy returned. Esme went straight to Carlisle, greeting him affectionately. I quickly turned my attention toward Pretty Boy and noticed he was carrying a heavy looking wooden box, his expression blank and unreadable. He gestured toward the living room with his head, and I headed in that direction, both hesitant and anxious to hear what Edward had to tell me.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Nope, still not mine. I just double checked to make sure...

**A/N:** I forgot to mention this last chapter, but I'm not sure if ffn sent out an alert for chapter 49...make sure that one didn't get skipped due to not getting an alert for it. I would think missing that chapter would make things a bit confusing at this point...

So...we're finally going to learn more about Pretty Boy's past and why he acts the way he does sometimes. The next chapter is already finished, so I'm pretty confident it will go up on Wednesday July 25th, and it includes the majority of Edward's heartbreaking story. We really are getting close to end of this one.

Once this story is complete, I plan to start posting Buying Happiness; the first chapter was included in the Fandoms for Autism compilation, but I want to have several chapters completely ready to go (pre-read and all) before I start posting it on here.

Writtenbyabex deserves great big hugs for how much she has helped me with this story and how much she's already helping with Buying Happiness. She truly is a blessing! Somehow she always finds time for me, even when her own life is crazy busy, and I can't thank her enough!

Thank you so much for your continued support of this story. I'm always amazed to see how many people are reading, alerting, favoriting, and reviewing. It makes my heart super happy. Remember, if you aren't logged in, I don't know who you are when you review!

See you soon!

~SP


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter Fifty**

Moments later, Pretty Boy and I were settled on the couch, sitting in awkward silence. I could tell he was beyond nervous, and I wished I could find a way to ease his anxiety. Just when I was about to say something, anything, Esme and Carlisle entered the room, hands clasped together.

"Edward, honey, we'll be in Carlisle's study if you need anything, okay?"

Pretty Boy nodded then got up and hugged both of them before they headed upstairs. He turned to me with a determined look on his face and sat down right next to me, our thighs touching. The intricate wooden box creaked as Pretty Boy opened the hinged lid. I had a feeling it hadn't been opened much. There was a picture lying on top, which his fingers gingerly plucked from the stack of papers it rested on. As the image came closer, I knew it was of his biological parents. Edward was a perfect blend of the two them.

In between the widely smiling couple nestled a baby wrapped in a blue blanket. The hair and eyes gave away his identity without me having to ask. This was a picture of parents who adored not only each other but their child as well. It was a captured moment of complete happiness. My stomach turned at the thought that the moment could never be repeated or regained because the family was no longer whole. I didn't know much about his past, but it was obvious something horrible had happened. Otherwise, he'd still be living with his parents rather than Carlisle and Esme.

I looked up at him and saw the tenderness reflected in his face as he too examined the picture he was holding.

"Your parents." I meant for it to be a question, but it came out sounding more like a statement.

"Yes…they were."

"Edward, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to or aren't ready for." In actuality, I wasn't quite sure I was ready to hear what he had to say. But he began talking anyway, and I was determined to be strong for him.

"I came home from school one afternoon and ended up in Hell. I was only eleven, but I knew what sex was. My dad had the _talk_ with me as soon as I came to him asking why I woke up with a certain predicament." He blushed as he explained, and I tried not to react like a little school girl. "I heard some strange noises coming from the back of the house, so I made my way toward them, wondering what was happening. My parents' bedroom door was partially open, and I could see my mom under a naked man, who I assumed was my dad.

"I bolted away as fast as I could, grossed out at what I had seen. I thought my parents were having sex and hadn't heard me come home. Not long after I made my way to the living room, I realized things weren't right. The room was basically destroyed. Stuff had been knocked over, and one of my mom's favorite vases was lying shattered on the floor. That's when the strange noises that had first led me to my parents' room changed to mumbled sounding screams. I ran back in there, taking in the scene with a new perspective.

"My mom must have heard me or something because she looked up at me. Somehow, she wrenched the man's hand off her mouth and yelled at me to run. I couldn't. My feet felt glued to the floor. The man turned to find out who she was yelling at, and that's when I realized he was definitely not my dad. Without thinking, I ran at him and tackled him. All I could focus on was getting him away from my mom. He was hurting her, and I wanted to hurt him, to make him pay.

"I was no match for him, though, so it didn't take him long to beat the shit out of me, tie me up, and throw me in a hall closet. It sounded like he returned to what he had been doing before I interrupted. I felt helpless, so I sat in the dark, crying. I wished I had thought to call 911 or something when I realized things weren't what they seemed."

He choked back silent sobs at that point, so I closed the small gap between us and wrapped my arms around him. He'd always seemed larger than life to me, so seeing him so broken was extremely difficult. I knew I would wait for him to be ready to continue the story of his past for as long as he needed me to. Without having to hear any more, I knew I had already forgiven him for pulling away from me. Pretty Boy's past was way worse than I had ever imagined.

That was when he moved away from me, or bodies no longer touching. I watched in stunned silence as his eyes hardened with resolve.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM is the mother of Twilight. I'm just babysitting her kids...

**A/N:** I loved some of the ideas of what could be in the box. We've only scraped the surface, but I think it's kind of obvious what else might be lurking in there. Poor Pretty Boy. His story only gets worse. The next chapter will be rough too. Sorry 'bout that. Pretty Boy refuses to listen to a word I say and is insisting on doing things his way.

Writtenbyabdex rocked this chapter and got me started on the next one with her little nudges. She is the apple to my pie, and I don't know how I'd survive without her!

See you same time next week?

Thanks all,

~SP


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty One**

The look Pretty Boy was throwing my way made me want to scream and throw things. I knew he wasn't finished with his story, but I was almost certain he was about finished with me. There was just something in the resolve that set into his expression that made me think he wasn't going to let whatever this was between us go any further. I didn't like the way that thought made me feel. There wasn't a damn thing I could do about any of it, and I knew that too. He paced to the other side of the living room, turning his back to me before he continued his horrific tale.

"By the time I was found, my parents' room was blocked off and I wasn't allowed anywhere near it. All they would tell me was that my parents were dead. In one night I lost everything. _Everything_. If it hadn't been for Carlisle and Esme, I don't know where I'd be now. They took me in without hesitation when they heard my story and discovered I had no one.

"I'll never be able to tell you how scared I was when I found out you were missing. I wasn't enough to save my parents, and I wasn't enough to protect you," he said before finally turning back and looking at me. His eyes were rimmed red. "When Carlisle got the call from Charlie," he said, pausing as he slowly approached, holding me captive with his eyes. "Telling him you were missing and to be on standby in case they found you and he was needed, I about shut down from fear. I thought I'd never see you again."

He dropped to his knees at my feet, hiding his face in my lap. His arms wrapped around my legs, and he held me tightly as he sobbed. I could feel his tears soaking through the fabric of my jeans, but I wasn't about to let him go, not yet.

"Edward, it's okay. I'm okay." I didn't know what else to say to comfort him.

"But I'm not." Pretty Boy's desperate tone broke my heart, and I clung to him as he pulled away from me yet again.

He pulled out some papers from the box I'd almost forgotten was there. They were copies of the police reports, pages and pages of detailed information regarding the deaths of his parents. The tears I'd been able to hold back up until that point began streaming down my face. How he could even look at these, I would never know. There were pictures to accompany the descriptions of what the police found when they entered his house that night. Edward shoved them into my hands, forcefully turning each page to make sure I saw everything.

"Edward…," I began but he cut me off.

"I'm not okay, Bella." He let go of the papers and turned back to the box.

It was like driving past a car wreck where I couldn't help but look, even though I knew I wouldn't like what I saw…or read. The police estimated Edward was stuck in the closet for at least seven hours before he was finally found. They had been too distracted by the murder scene to realize the son of the deceased was unaccounted for. Neighbors had even begun combing the area around the house, looking for his body. No one believed he was still alive. They'd been beyond surprised to find him relatively unharmed and in the house. He'd been in a state of shock, unable to speak or answer questions. The report indicated he'd been taken to the hospital, but there was little else about him. The rest contained an outline of the investigation that followed.

The man who'd murdered Edward's parents had been obsessed with Elizabeth Masen. All kinds of photos had been found in his apartment after he was apprehended. According to his statement, the killer hadn't intended to harm Elizabeth when he went over to her home that day. He stated he just wanted to let her know she had options. Apparently, Edward's dad had come home unexpectedly and "ruined everything." I couldn't read anymore. The man was trying to justify his actions. There was no reason good enough, as far as I was concerned, for what he'd done to Edward's family.

Tears clouded my vision as I looked up from the papers in my hand. My whole body was trembling from the combination of emotions coursing through me. I hated the man who took away Edward's parents. I was so angry at the unfairness of it all. Pretty Boy didn't deserve any of this. I reached out for his hand, but he flinched away from my touch.

"Don't! Don't touch me. I'm not okay, Bella."

I didn't know what to do or say. He wouldn't let me comfort him physically, and I had no words that could take away any of the pain that shone in his eyes.

"I'm here for you. Whatever you need from me, I'm here," I offered in desperation. I had nothing else I could give him other than my presence.

"I need time. I need to find a way to be okay. Almost losing you showed me I'm not getting there on my own. As crazy as this sounds, the best thing you can do for me right now is to stay away from me."

"Stay away from you?" The words sounded so wrong. I was sure I must've misheard him.

"Yes. In order for me to move forward, I need to clear the path."

_Oh._ In a daze, I got up and left, driving home on autopilot. I had no idea why he'd just kicked me to the curb, but I was determined not to block his way anymore.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM came up with all things Twilight related.

**A/N:** I swear these two won't listen to me at all. They are just too damn stubburn and keep doing things their own way. I promise it gets better after this. The next chapter might be a bit bumpy, but I'm hoping they get through most of the rough stuff after that. We shall see, I guess.

I know some of you were wondering about Pretty Boy, so I hope this chapter at least helped clear things up a little. He still has a few more things he needs to get off his chest and tell Bella, but his past is almost completely out there now.

Still with me?

As always Writtenbyabex was a huge help with getting this chapter finished. She amazes me with her ability to deal with everything going in her life and still get these chapters right back to me.

Thank you so much, everyone, for being here :-)

~SP


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty Two**

Weeks passed and I still didn't know how to deal with Pretty Boy's past or his request for me to stay away from him, so I opted to ignore it. That seemed to be my go-to response to unpleasant situations. Somehow, I pushed it all to the back of my mind and went on with my life, well the motions of daily living anyway. It was just easier that way, especially after I gave my official statement regarding everything that happened that night with James. To say my dad was livid when he heard the part about me sneaking outside on my own accord would be a massive understatement. I was once again under house arrest. He let me go to school and that was it. If he had a choice, he probably wouldn't even have let me do that much. I'd already missed enough days due to the whole James situation, though, so I had to attend classes in order to stay on track.

Charlie was right to be angry with me. What I had done was asinine. And, as he so helpfully pointed out, I was lucky that no one got hurt trying to save me. He seemed to think telling me all the worst case scenarios, those things that could have happened, would ensure I never did anything like that again. He was definitely good at laying on the guilt. Not that I didn't feel bad enough as it was. At least James was securely behind bars and had been denied bail, since he was a proven flight risk and all. I overheard that the lawyers were trying to work out a plea bargain, and I hoped they could figure something out because I really didn't want to go through a trial. The thought of having to relive the nightmare in a courtroom full of people made my skin crawl.

"What's got you looking all forlorn?" Rose's question and presence at my lonely table in the lunchroom startled me from my self-deprecating thoughts.

"Oh, you know. The usual." My tone was snarky, but my smile gave me away. I was happy she was there.

"So, it's either Edward or James…"

"Yes and yes. I just feel so stupid. I waltzed out the door, in the middle of the night, assuming it's the guy I like out there waiting for me. Now, Edward won't talk to me, my dad is mad at me, and Jake refuses to let me out of his sight." I put my head down on the table, banging it in frustration.

"Wait, what? You did what?" Her response was eerily similar to Charlie's when I'd told him the same thing. "Are you telling me that James got to you because you went outside, thinking Edward was there? I don't understand."

"James must have been watching my house at night or something because he did the same thing Edward had done once, throwing pebbles at my window to get my attention. I thought it was Edward. It was dumb, okay? I know that." I was trying not to yell at Rose, but I hadn't really gotten a chance to vent about everything.

"Bella, do you realize…"

"Not you too, please? It would be nice to have at least one person in my corner," I begged. I didn't need another person lecturing me on how irresponsible what I'd done was or to add to the guilt I already felt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I can't even imagine how horrible that night was for you. And you're right. What's done is done, so there's no point in beating yourself up about it. Learn from it and move on. It's not like you can go back and change what happened."

"Thank you." I sighed in relief at her words. I really needed to hear that.

"I actually came over here because I wanted to talk to you about Edward. Talk about being stupid."

At that, my head shot up and I looked at Rose in shock. She wanted to talk about Pretty Boy? That could be good, right? Or bad. Rose was always bluntly honest, and I appreciated that about her. My concern was what truths she had to share because I didn't know if I wanted to hear them if Pretty Boy really was finished with me."

"Don't give me that look, Swan. At least hear me out first."

"Rose, just spit it out already, please."

"Edward is seeing someone, a therapist or whatever, and he's working really hard on getting past what happened with his parents. He feels really bad that he pushed you away, but apparently, even therapist dude told him he made the right decision. Anyway, a new relationship can be stressful enough without the baggage Edward's got and blah, blah, blah. I just didn't want you to think he doesn't care about you or anything. He's almost as pathetic as you are right now. You two are getting annoying."

"Why are you telling me this? Why couldn't he just tell me why he needed space?"

"Because he's Edward, and he's an idiot. He's never done things the easy way. Look, I don't know how much he told you. He's only said that he got through most of it before he asked you to leave because it got to be too much for him.

"You know, he didn't have access to all those records until just before you moved here. He shouldn't be pushing himself so hard or beating himself up so much for not handling it better. He doesn't think he's enough for you, that you deserve better. He'll come around, though, because the guy loves ya. I'm just worried you'll end up hating him before he figures it out for himself." She shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to her tray of food.

Another great thing about Rose was her ability to give silent support. She was there, but she wasn't pushing me to talk. Instead, she was giving me time to come to terms with everything she'd said while letting me know she was there for me if I needed her. I kind of wanted to hug her.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>**:** Stephenie Meyer created Twilight, then she was kind enough not to tell us we couldn't write out our own ideas about her characters.

**A/N:** So, who thinks Rose is going to run off and tell Pretty Boy about what Bella told her? I wonder how Pretty Boy will react to that little tid bit of information...hmmmm

Thanks so much continuing this journey with me. I had such a different idea of how this story would go when I first started it, but the characters have their own version of the story and insisted on having their way.

Humagasaurus thanks go out to Writtenbyabdex for all her help along the way. She's inspired me in tons of ways and made continuing this story possible on many occasions.

Thanks,

~SP


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter Fifty Three**

Biology class had been a weird kind of torture ever since Pretty Boy told me he needed space. He continued to occupy the seat next to me, but he might as well not have been there at all considering how easy it was for him to completely ignore me. This day was different, though. Instead of acting like I didn't even exist, he stared at me as if he were trying to figure out a difficult math equation. Just the day before, Rose talked to me for the first time in weeks, and the very next day Pretty Boy acknowledged my presence, well sort of, for the first time in what felt like forever. What a weird week this was turning out to be. I wondered if Alice would be next. I missed her. Rose and Alice had been hovering around Pretty Boy as if he might break at any moment, and I'd been so busy staying away from him that I never saw them either. In a way I felt abandoned, but deep down, I knew better than to believe that.

"Okay, class, you're going to be working with your partner today," Mr. Banner stated as he walked around the room, handing out supplies.

Pretty Boy's lips lifted up slightly at the corners. Ugh, and seeing that little devilish grin made me start thinking about kissing those lips. Luckily, Mr. Banner made it to our table, providing a much needed, yet infuriatingly unwanted, distraction.

I snatched up one of the worksheets that outlined what we were supposed to be doing as Mr. Banner started explaining the lab assignment. I squirmed in my seat a bit when Pretty Boy leaned closer to me and began reading over my shoulder rather than grabbing the other copy that still sat on the corner of our shared table.

I could barely concentrate on what I was doing due to Pretty Boy's hovering. Luckily, he soon started working on the assignment and completed most of it without my help. Every now and then he'd point out something for me to do, like look up a definition in the back of our text book, but he never uttered a word, and I was completely perplexed by his actions. Being the passive aggressive person I was I didn't say anything to him either. I figured turnabout was fair play, especially in this case. As soon as the bell rang, I darted out of my seat and left the room as quickly as possible, frustrated and angry at his new version of the silent treatment. The dude was seriously messing with my head.

Finally, it was the end of the week, and I headed out to my truck looking forward to two days away from school, students and Edward. The stares from my classmates had been difficult enough. Hearing the rumors that spread regarding what happened was worse. Having to deal with Pretty Boy's constant stares, however, proved to be by far the worst. He still hadn't spoken a single word to me, but he was definitely acknowledging my presence these days. It was infuriating. And I was so caught up in my wonderings about it all that I almost ran right into Alice as she stood next to my drivers' side door.

The tiny girl was practically vibrating with energy. She wore a smug smile that had me concerned about her intentions. That look usually meant I wasn't going to like whatever she was about to say or do. The whole cat that ate the canary expression was making me want to turn and run far, far away. As if sensing I was about to retreat, Alice's hands grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I've missed you, so much, Bella. I'm sorry I haven't made more of an effort to hang out with you. You're hurting too, probably more than he is, and I should have at least taken the time to make sure you were okay." She was holding back tears, and I knew I needed to alleviate her concerns.

"It's fine, Alice. I'm not mad or anything, I promise." _Not at you, at least._

"Thank, God! I seriously don't know what I would've done if you didn't want to be my friend anymore. I love Edward, I swear I do, but I love you too, and I can't choose between the two of you. Not that either of you are making me do that or anything, and I know this is all temporary…um, or something, but I promise that I will be here for you from now on. I will be a better friend to you. I promise."

Once Alice finally let me leave, I headed home and started making dinner. Cooking was always such a therapeutic distraction. I enjoyed the quiet of the empty house. It was nice not to have to put on a brave face for anyone or pretend that I was fine. At least for a little while, I could let the tears flow.

When Charlie returned home, it was only long enough to eat, shower and change into a fresh uniform. Despite his rush to get back to work, I kept catching him watching me. Every time I met his gaze, he turned away abruptly or left the room, though, leaving me baffled by his behavior. I tried to push aside the curiosity, but this week had just been all kinds of weird. It was really starting to get to me.

I awoke with a start, wondering why I wasn't still asleep. Looking over at my clock, I noticed it was just past midnight. Then I heard the eerily familiar tinkling sound of pebbles hitting my window. Maybe it was just my imagination. When I heard it a second time, my heart fell to my feet. Quickly hopping out of bed, I made my way over to the dark glass. I could just make out a shadowy figure pacing my yard when I peeked through the curtain. Pretty Boy. And once again, despite everything, I longed to actually be able to talk to him, even if for just a few minutes. So, I hurriedly slipped on my warm robe and fluffy slippers before practically running downstairs and out the front door. It wasn't until strong arms wrapped around me that I realized what an idiot I was. I had briefly considered the James incident but dismissed it just as quickly because I knew he was in jail. I was sure it was Pretty Boy, but that didn't stop the fear from coursing through my veins.

"When are you going to stop trying to get yourself killed?" His tone was almost playful, but I could hear an underlying frustration that let me know he wasn't exactly thrilled with me at the moment.

"Don't worry, I looked and made sure it was really you this time."

"This time?" he asked incredulously.

Whoops, I really shouldn't have said that. _Lie or tell the truth? _I wondered.

"So, Rose was right. This is how James got to you?" He seemed completely exasperated by this point.

_Truth it is._

The look of pure rage storming in his eyes made my blood run cold. For some reason, his reaction made me want to lash out at him. I'd paid enough for my mistakes. He could kiss my ass.

"Yep, he did. He used my feelings for you against me. But it's not like you care about me or anything, so why are you so mad?"

The feeling of his hand gripping my hips and his lips against mine contradicted my accusation. Even though I knew this argument was far from over, I melted into him. The rest could wait a few more minutes.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Guess what...I don't own anything Twilight related. Just thought I'd let you know.

**A/N:** I loved your thoughts and feelings on the last chapter. It still amazes me to see people are actually reading this and leaving me reviews. I can't thank you enough for your support. It motivates me more than you'll ever know!

**Writtenbyabex** deserves credit for probably half of this chapter. She gave me some great ideas and helped me figure out how to get from point A to point B. Even though she's insanely busy with RL, she never fails to be there for me when I need her. Thank you, sweets!

I'm thinking we're spiraling to the end. Not sure exactly how many chapters are left because these two keep throwing me new things they want to share but we're getting close...

Thanks!

~SP


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter Fifty Four**

Wow, kissing Pretty Boy was even better than I remembered. There was a good chance I would let him keep kissing me forever if it were possible. It was also a good excuse to put off the talk I knew we still needed to have. I really didn't want to ruin our moment. There was no doubt in my mind that as soon as we pulled apart I would ambush him with questions and start demanding answers. It sucked, but it was reality. So, I let his lips linger on mine and chose to shut out these damn thoughts that kept trying to put a damper on my bliss.

Every head turned toward us when Edward opened the passenger side door of his car and grabbed my hand to help me out. The school parking lot suddenly felt way too crowded. I should have been used to being the center of attention, but I didn't think I ever would. After we finally stopped kissing long enough to talk that night, I discovered Pretty Boy had been through a lot the past few weeks. He had pushed himself, trying to follow his therapist's advice and finally truly heal. What he hadn't expected was the ache he felt when he watched me walk away or how hard it had been to hear his therapist tell him he'd made the right decision. He'd told me nothing had ever felt so wrong in all his life. That confession had definitely made me smile and my heart skip a beat. Then I started worrying that he was going to lose any headway he'd made, but he promised me that the only way I could hinder his progress would be if I pushed him away, at least before giving him a chance to make things right.

After our first kiss in weeks, I was extremely hesitant. I was torn between pushing him away before this progressed into something more and risking further heartache if I allowed him back into my life only to have him leave it again. All thoughts of being able to stay away from him evaporated as soon as he pulled me back in for a second kiss.

He later admitted to noticing the hesitancy in my eyes and becoming worried I was too hurt to give our relationship another try. I explained that I was nervous. My one other experience with a boy hadn't exactly ended well. I also confessed my fear that I felt more for him than he did for me. That was when he asked me to be his girlfriend. Really, there was no hope of me ever saying no to that. We still had so much to talk about, but I was positive we could move past all the misunderstandings and miscommunications we had experienced over the past few weeks as long as we were open and honest with each other. Nothing good ever came easy, right? Plus, he told me I was worth whatever obstacles he had to conquer in order to be with me. That line caused me to bury my head in his chest so he couldn't see the totally smitten expression on my face. Yeah, I was doomed before I ever even had a chance. And I was absolutely okay with that.

Rose came and sat on top of my desk as soon as we made it to our first period class. She had a smug I-told-you-so look on her face. I just shook my head at her and readied myself as best as I could.

"You know, gloating isn't attractive." I said, deciding to launch a pre-emptive strike. Speaking first was the only way I'd get a word in edgewise.

"Oh, come on, Bella." She said my name in a sing-song fashion that made me cringe. This was going to be worse than I thought.

"Rose, leave her be, okay? Don't torment Bella because it took me so long to get my head of my ass." Pretty Boy's words shocked the hell out of me.

"Ed, I'm just teasing you two. You did what you had to do, and I respect that. I'm sure Bella does too, don't ya, Bella-B?" Rose retorted, looking at her nails as if she didn't feel bad for upsetting her friend. Her eyes told another story, however. I opted not to call her on it, although I did store it away for later use, just in case.

"I was stupid, and I'll never forgive myself for the way I treated you, Bella." He turned to me with glassy eyes, and I was at a loss as to what to say or do.

Yes, he did hurt me. I was sad when he pushed me away, but we needed to work it out together without an audience. I didn't want him to go through the rest of the day feeling like he did, though.

"Pretty Boy, we'll talk about this later. You're not stupid, and I know your reasons were valid, or at least, you thought they were at the time. Now, let's stop moping about things we can't change and enjoy the rest of the day, okay?" I was proud of myself in that moment. I said what I wanted to say, and my tone was calm but strong.

Both Rose and Edward nodded in response with wide-eyes. I couldn't help laughing at their reactions. Maybe having the time to think and evaluate my life had been a good thing. Maybe Pretty Boy wasn't the only one who needed a breather. There was also a good chance that some of my newfound confidence came from the fact that he was sitting beside me with his hand clasped tightly in mine despite the gap of the aisle between us. He ignored the teacher's glare when she noticed and spent the entire hour watching me. I should've felt self-conscious. That would have been my typical reaction. But something had changed, and I felt nothing but giddy under his appraisal. His wide smile didn't hurt either.

When the bell rang, Edward and I walked out of class with matching smiles on our faces.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I double checked my birth certificate, and sure enough, I'm not SM...

**A/N:** Sorry, I know this one is a few days late. It just didn't want to fit together right, and I didn't want to post it until it did. We really are close to the end. I promise this time! I'm thinking one or two more chapters and then an epilogue to finish this.

Thanks for sticking with me and these two crazy kids :-)

**Writtenbyabdex** deserves a vacation for all her hard work and help here! Thanks, sugar bear ;-)

See ya soon!

~SP


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter Fifty Five**

Exiting class, Pretty Boy and I came face to face with my dad. I instinctively stopped when I noticed Charlie leaning against the wall opposite the classroom door when we emerged into the hallway. His expression was grim. I felt the hand holding mine tighten, and I wondered if Pretty Boy was as worried as I was. When he spotted us, my dad pushed his body away from the wall and made his way over to us. It was almost funny how the crowded corridor parted like the Red Sea before Moses as the Chief of Police walked through the throng of students. In any other situation, I may have laughed at my classmates' reaction. Right then, however, nothing could have taken away the feeling of impending doom.

"Bells, I need to talk to you about some things. You probably won't be coming back to school today, so we can stop by your locker on the way out if you need to grab anything." Dad stated once he was close enough for me to hear him over the hustle and bustle. Everyone else was making their way to their next classes and casting curious gazes in our direction.

"Sure thing, Dad," I answered as dread made my blood run cold.

"I'll come with you," Edward asserted, stepping closer to me, and I was surprised when my dad nodded his acceptance.

"We'll need to stop by the office too, then," Charlie stated as he led the way. "I only checked Bella out, so I'll need to let them know you're coming with me. We'll also need to let your parents know."

"I can call them while I run by my locker then meet you guys at the office, if that's okay."

"That's fine, son. Bella, where's your locker at?"

I led the way without saying a word. All sorts of worst case scenarios were running rampant through my mind. What if James had somehow gotten out of jail? No, I couldn't even think about it. I gathered my books then followed my dad to the front of the school. I opted to wait outside while he went in and did whatever it was he needed to do.

"It's going to be okay, Beautiful. Whatever it is, it's going to be okay." Pretty Boy's reassurance did little to calm my nerves. I let him pull me into his arms and tried to absorb some of his confidence.

"All right, kids, all set. Edward did you let your folks know you were leaving school with me and Bella?"

"Yes, they're concerned and want updates, but they're fine with me missing a few classes, under the circumstances."

"Okay, good, let's go."

The ride over to the station was silent, only occasionally broken by the squawk of the police radio. Dad had only told us where we were headed. He said he preferred to wait until we were there before discussing the whys. It was hard not knowing, but I respected his wishes and didn't hound him for information. We had to continue to wait when we got there while my dad handled a situation that had come up while he was gone. I was contemplating taking out my frustration on a nearby wall when I felt Pretty Boy's hand on my shoulder. He turned me around and hugged me close. I breathed in his scent and let him calm me in the way only he could.

"Are we ever going to be able to move past all this? Will it ever be over?" I asked quietly, hoping for assurances that one day it would be done. He didn't answer my question, though, probably because he didn't know the answer any more than I did.

"When you walked out the door that day I asked you to leave, I was so mad. At first, I thought I was mad at you for not fighting me." He shushed me when I opened my mouth to argue with him. "Let me finish." At my nod, he continued. "I thought I was mad because I wanted you to fight for me, for us. But I quickly realized that wasn't the case at all. I was mad because I didn't fight for you. I pushed you away when I needed you the most, and I'll never forgive myself for that." He put his finger over my lips when I made to interrupt him again. "I was wrong, Beautiful Girl. I was so wrong. When Eleazar, my therapist, told me it was probably for the best, I wanted to hit him.

"It wasn't until the other day that he confessed he had only told me that in hopes I would get angry. He wanted me to see that I could fight for what I wanted. It wasn't until I told him he could shove his ideas and theories up his ass that he shared that with me. He was proud of me, and I finally realized I could be happy. That I _deserved_ to be happy. The guilt from my parents' death and finding out that I hadn't been there to protect you from James made me forget that for a while, but I won't ever let that happen again. I'm here until you tell me to leave. Even then, you'll probably have to push me away several times before I even think about going anywhere. Then I'd follow you around like some sort of protective stalker for the rest of your life anyway."

There was no way I wasn't kissing him after that speech. I wasn't even embarrassed when my dad cleared his throat a few minutes later.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> Nope, I still can't take credit for Mrs. Meyer's creations...

**A/N:** Um, I wonder what Charlie has to say that's so important...Well, I don't really wonder because I know, heehee. The next chapter will tie up a lot of loose ends and end this bad boy. Then we'll have an epi and that'll be all she wrote, ya'll :-)

Tackle hugs to the wonderful Writtenbyabdex for her mad pre-reading skills.

Thank you so much for reading and/or reviewing. The thoughts you've shared with me on this story are truly appreciated!

See you soon :-)

~SP


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter Fifty Six**

The Chief led us into his office and told us both to sit down. I could tell he was all cop at the moment, and I was really getting worried about what he was about to tell us. Typically, my dad was great about separating his work from his personal life. Sure, things occasionally crossed over and blended, like when James abducted me, but mostly, he was able to walk the line. I'd once seen him arrest one of his good friends for public intoxication then set up a fishing trip with that same friend the day after he was released from jail. It was one of the reasons I believed he was so well respected. At the end of the day, he did his job. Whether friend or foe, if someone was breaking the law, Chief Swan treated them the same. I admired him for that.

"James agreed to plead guilty for a lesser sentence. The DA offered to charge him as a juvenile if he pled guilty. Otherwise, he would have been charged as an adult and the case would have picked up lots of publicity. The conditions of the plea agreement require him to be held in a juvenile facility until he reaches the age of twenty-one. After that, he'll have to abide by a restraining order, as part of the conditions of his parole, which will prevent him from coming anywhere near you. I'm not exactly happy with it, but I didn't get much say in the matter." My dad looked at me, concern breaking through his tough cop façade.

The crack in his expression, revealing how overwhelmed he truly felt, had me running around to his side of the desk and leaping into his open arms. My dad rarely showed weakness, but I knew all this drama with James and almost losing me was taking its toll on my daddy. He held me on his lap for a few moments even though he probably felt all kinds of awkward with our display of affection. I squeezed him tightly before letting him go and returning to my seat. His face was red, and I knew mine likely was as well. He went on to explain the situation in more detailed terms. I was confused by most of what he said, but I got the gist of it. Afterward, he had me sign some documents, including the request for a restraining order.

When we were done, Dad drove us to the now empty school parking lot to drop us off at Edward's car. Edward had insisted that I go home with him instead of staying by myself until my dad got home from work, and Dad had agreed. Even though James was locked up tight, Pretty Boy was still having a difficult time letting me out of his sight now that we were back together. I was of the opinion we never should have been apart in the first place, but I also understood why he needed that time, so I didn't give him a hard time about any of it.

As Edward drove us to his house, I started thinking about the future. It was a strange sensation when I realized we could possibly have a future without the threat of James looming over us. I wondered if it was truly over or if I was just deluding myself into thinking it was. I asked Pretty Boy what his thoughts were because I just had to know. He'd been through as much as I had, and more, in the last few months. I couldn't ask the one question I really wanted to, however; was he as ready as I was to have a future? He turned to me and told me he could see the light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in years. That made me smile.

When we arrived at the Cullen home, I was almost immediately pulled into Esme's arms. Pretty Boy had called his parents from the backseat of Charlie's cruiser to explain what happened. I was glad I didn't have to tell them. I remained pretty shaken up over the whole thing. Carlisle and Esme hovered while Edward and I worked on homework and then watched TV. It should have been annoying, but it was actually kinda nice. They cared and it showed. I liked knowing Edward had such supportive parents, especially considering his past. The Cullens had been there for him through the worst experience imaginable, and I was glad he had them.

"We're going to head upstairs for a bit. Bella, you're welcome to stay as long as you want. Charlie told us he might be working late tonight, so just let us know if you want to spend the night here. I'll get the guest room set up for you, okay?" Esme looked at me fondly while she offered to let me hang out at her home. I couldn't believe they would actually let me spend the night…in the guest room, of course.

Somehow Pretty Boy convinced Charlie to let him stay on our couch the following weekend. I was shocked my dad had approved, but the guys remained on edge regarding my safety. I tried not to take it personally or as an insult to my ability to take care of myself. I didn't exactly have the best track record in that department to use as a defense. Jacob hadn't stopped spending most of his spare time with me, either. I had a feeling his hovering had more to do with my cooking, though, than any lingering concern over my well-being. The kid could out eat anyone I knew, including Emmett.

Once James was officially charged and put in a juvenile center near Seattle, life finally started to go back to some semblance of normalcy. School became monotonous and time flew by at an unnatural pace. Everyone spoke of our high school years as if they would be the best of our lives. I really hoped that wouldn't be the case. Being a teenager was hell. I looked forward to college and whatever would come after. It certainly didn't hurt that Edward starred in all my fantasies of the future.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I'm truly grateful Stephenie lets us make up our own tales involving her characters, so I won't disrespect that by trying to claim 'em here :-)

**A/N:** Sorry, I know it's a day late, but I hope you still enjoyed it! Only the epilogue left to go as unbelievable as that seems to me. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Huge thanks to Writtenbyabdex for all her help with this chapter!

Thanks!

~SP


	57. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Time did fly. My years as a junior and as a senior felt more like a few weeks. Pretty boy insisted that we go to prom both years, and of course, he got his way. All he had to do was flash me one of his beautiful smiles, and I'd agree to just about anything. He knew it too. Besides, if his killer smile didn't work, he had his kisses as backup. I was putty in his hands after one of those bad boys.

When Emmett finished his Bachelor's degree, he decided to move home for a year to spend time with Rose. He didn't want to make any permanent decisions regarding his future until he knew where Rose was going to college. I thought it was sweet, but Rose was weird about it at first. She claimed she didn't want him to put his life on hold for her. They finally worked things through when Emmett started up his own home business. It was an almost instant success and didn't require him to leave home. Plus, he could set his own hours, and the icing on the cake was when he asked Rose if she would help him manage it once she finished school.

It wasn't all good times, though. Our rapidly approaching graduation was especially difficult for Edward. He missed his parents every day, but knowing they wouldn't be there to see him graduate was killing him. In an effort to help him get through the pain, Carlisle, Esme and I arranged a surprise trip to Chicago to visit his parents' graves. We cried a lot that weekend, but it really seemed to help him find some closure. As hard as it was for him to go there, he thanked us for taking him. He needed his chance to say goodbye. He was too lost in his grief to give them a proper farewell at their funeral, and shortly after, he'd moved with the Cullens to Forks. Esme and Carlisle thought it was best for him to get out of the place that held so many memories, and he'd never asked to stay or go back, so they never knew how much it affected him to not visit his parents. Edward was getting better about communicating his needs, but he still had a long way to go. Hell, we all did.

My family, as I'd come to think of all of them, was sitting around Dad's small kitchen table, eating the dinner I'd made to celebrate graduation. We still had a week of school left but tonight was the only one where I'd been able to get everyone together before the craziness of summer began. As I sat there looking at each other their faces, I realized life was perfect. Sure, it had taken some messed up shit to get us here, but we were here, and that was what mattered most, right?

"Think fast, Eddie," Emmett shouted as a chunk of lasagna flew across the table, hitting Edward square in the face.

We all just sat there in shock for a moment or two, waiting for Pretty Boy to react as he wiped the remaining food off his face. Most of it had slid straight into his lap. None of us expected him to scoop up the piece of lasagna on his plate and hurl it right at Emmett in retaliation. The entire group erupted into laughter. For a while, I thought I was going to be able to stay out of it, but my boyfriend had other ideas. He decided it was my turn and laughed hysterically at the look of shock on my face, what he could see through the mess he'd made anyway. Red sauce, noodles, lettuce and garlic bread ended up coating every surface when we were finally finished with our impromptu food fight. Pretty Boy had gotten in a few good shots and had definitely gotten Emmett back for the first hit.

By the time it was all over, Dad was slipping and sliding around as he tried to get to the paper towels. I just shook my head, laughing at him, knowing we were going to need way more than those to clean up this mess. Maybe we could drag the garden hose inside and douse the whole room. It was probably the only way we'd ever get it all clean.

"Rose, stop! You're messing up my hairdo!" Emmett bellowed, and I looked over just in time to see her smashing noodles into his shaggy brown hair.

It started another round of food throwing, and I had to resort to grabbing food off the floor for ammo since the huge lasagna I'd made was completely gone. I had barely even gotten a few bites of it. Not that I could be upset with any of it considering the huge smiles plastered on everyone's faces.

Alice was peeved about her ruined outfit but she was still beaming with pride after hitting Jasper right in his chest with a piece of garlic bread. He watched in amusement as it slowly slid through the sauce on his shirt and plopped to the floor. Jake was busy laughing at Jasper's reaction when I got him right on the side of the face with a handful of mixed up food, lettuce sticking to his ear. I clutched my side trying to catch my breath, and I couldn't remember ever having so much fun before in my life.

"Enough!" Charlie's tone immediately stopped the food from flying around the room. Then he aimed the sprayer from the sink at us, soaking us from head to toe and making the floor even more slippery. We spent the rest of our evening cleaning on our hands and knees, or butt in my case. Not even Rose was graceful enough to stay on her feet when walking across the slick linoleum.

Yep, life was good.

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I borrowed these characters from SM. I hope you like the places they took me.

**A/N:** What a bittersweet thing it is to complete a story.

I can't thank you all enough for taking this journey with me. All the alerts, favs, and reviews have made my heart super happy :-)

This story has actually been nominated for an Emerging Swan award. I don't know who nominated it, but I appreciate it! If you feel so inclined, head over to their site and vote for your favorites. emergingswanawards . blogspot . com  
>Just take out the spaces, obviously.<p>

Writtenbyabex deserves a huge hug for all her help in getting us to the end of this tale. She's pushed and pulled every time I needed it and wouldn't let me fall into a pit of despair.

Sincerest thanks,

~SP


	58. Outtake 1

**Empty Threats and Broken Promises Outtake 1  
><strong>

**EPOV - This takes place the summer before their junior year...**

**-1-Unwanted Information**

Files of evidence sat on the table in front of me, mocking me. I'd wanted to get my hands on the facts regarding my parents' murders since the night they died, but now that it was right there, I couldn't face it. Tears streamed down my face as I just stared at the manila folders that held the answers I thought I wanted, needed. Did I really want to know all the gory details, though? I didn't think I could live my life not knowing, so I took a deep breath and shuffled through the paperwork, pictures and other items within.

I felt the couch shift as someone sat down next to me, but I couldn't take my eyes off the words in front of me. My dad had been tied and gagged the whole time. He'd watched what they'd done to my mother. He had to have seen me come in and try to save her. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"I was there when they brought your dad in that night. Even in his condition, he was so worried about you. As soon as I told him you were found and, other than having been locked in a closet for several hours, you were unharmed, he was finally able to go in peace."

Carlisle never minced words, especially when it came to the most difficult conversations. Some people thought he was insensitive, but that wasn't the case at all. His words were chosen carefully. He cared so much that he couldn't hold back with others or sugarcoat things to make them seem better than they really were. I had appreciated that about him from the moment we met. In my darkest time, he had been there to tell me exactly what had happened. He was also there to pick me up and make me strong enough to continue on when all I wanted to do was curl up and die.

My adoptive father held me as I cried over knowing the true horrors my parents suffered, and then he helped me lock those truths away in a sturdy wooden box. He knew I wanted to keep the information, but he also knew I wanted to keep it locked up tight. We walked to his office together and put the key in one of his desk drawers. He placed the box on a high shelf in the closet of his study, so it would be accessible but not too accessible.

The next few weeks were quiet, exactly what I needed. I opted to stick around the house rather than go out and enjoy the summer break. Alice and Rose had come by to check on me several times, and I had to reassure them I just wanted some time to digest everything. I'd told the girls everything, as I always did. They were the only ones who saw past my anger to the real person.

When we'd first moved to Forks, I'd been dealing with so much. I acted out and used my temper to hide my pain. I wasn't proud of some of the things I'd done, especially almost getting arrested. Besides Carlisle, Esme and Emmett; Alice and Rose were the only people I allowed access to my life. They hadn't really given me much choice in the matter.

My first day at my new middle school, I had punched Mike Newton in the face because of some comment he made to a classmate as he pushed her against the wall and tried to kiss her against her will. Newton was an asshole and deserved to be hit for his actions, but the principal stuck to a strict zero tolerance policy when it came to violence. Carlisle had to explain some of my past to keep me from getting more than just a week long suspension. It was bad enough that I had to repeat seventh grade, I didn't need a week's worth of zeros adding to my already dismal grades. Somehow, Carlisle convinced the principal to allow me to make up the work missed once I returned. High school had been slightly easier in that respect. The principal there sympathized more with my story. He'd lost a parent to violence when he was young too, and so far, he had been more lenient when it came to my punishments. He didn't let me get away with anything, but he didn't let me throw my future away with my actions either. I respected him for his perspective, and I really tried not to get into fights at school anymore.

Summer was over far too fast, and I was dreading the first day of my junior year. Considering how I had handled my temper in the past, I worried how I might react if anyone said the wrong thing to me.

Then I saw an angel and everything else seemed to just fade away, at least for a little while. There was no past and no future. There was only here and now and her.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> They still aren't my characters...

**A/N:** I promised some of you wonderful readers outtakes from Edward's point of view. Instead of posting them as a separate story, I decided to just add them to the end. I hope that's okay with everyone. So far, I have four written and plan a future-take because some of you asked for a peek into their future.

This story, along with some amazing others, has been nominated for the Emerging Swan Awards. Please check out the stories and vote for your favorites :-) emergingswanawards . blogspot. com


	59. Outtake 2

**-2- Meeting Bella Swan**

God, she was beautiful. The pictures her dad had up all over his house didn't do her justice. I knew she would be pretty, but the reality of her beauty knocked the wind out of me. I'd admired her photographs ever since Chief Swan first brought me into his home to help get me on the right path. He'd been determined to keep me out of jail, and I really appreciated everything he did for me. He was someone outside my family that I could go to and talk to without fear of judgment. He told it like it was and didn't sugarcoat things either. I needed that. It was just too bad his beautiful daughter refused to step foot in Forks for their summer visits. I had been hoping to meet her for years. Now that I had my chance, I was beyond nervous.

Once I realized she had no idea how utterly stunning she was, I couldn't help but tease her a little. When she looked into my eyes for the first time, I instantly realized that I would want her forever. She tried to brush me off, but there was no way I was going to let that happen. She proved right away that she wasn't like any other girl I had ever met. I'd only officially met her a few minutes ago, but I already felt so protective of her.

The look she had on her face when she spotted James across the hall had me ready to go kick his ass. I didn't even know what he had done, but I wanted to hurt him for obviously causing her pain. She also looked a bit panicked. I didn't like that much either. Someone as stunning as she was should never be as freaked out as she was at that moment.

Then, her lips were on mine, and I was in heaven. All thoughts of violence were gone. Her soft lips felt amazing and every nerve ending in my entire body felt electrified. It was so much, too much. Before I could fully respond and appreciate what was happening, it was over. She started apologizing and rambling, and I slowly understood she'd only kissed me to keep James from noticing her. Well, I could live with that, for the moment. Besides, she had just stated she was forever in my debt. That, I could definitely use in my favor.

Every chance I got, I approached my beautiful girl and tormented her with the nicknames I took pleasure in calling her. Mainly, I liked to see the blush that would blossom on her cheeks whenever I alluded to her delicate beauty. She was such a spitfire too, which I enjoyed immensely. She was beyond a doubt the most interesting girl I had ever encountered. I wanted to get to know her better, but I could tell she was purposely pushing me away. From the gossip I heard over the course of the first day, I learned she and James had a thing over the summer that had ended when she caught him cheating on her. I wasn't surprised that he had been such a jerk, but I was shocked she got involved with him in the first place. I assumed it was simply due to the fact she was new to the area and didn't know what he was really like.

"What the hell, Edward?" Rose snapped at me when I met her at my car after school. She'd been in a foul mood all day.

"Rose, what has your panties in a wad?" I knew Rose cared about me in her own way, and that she thought of me as family even though we weren't technically, at least not yet, but her attitude made that really difficult to remember sometimes.

"Shut up, Edward, and tell me why on Earth you are stalking that new girl," she retorted. I wondered why she cared so much. I also wondered how I was supposed to shut up _and_ tell her what she wanted to hear. I wasn't stupid enough to point out the contradiction to her, however. I liked my balls too much to risk her wrath…again.

"She seems nice. I was a new kid once, and I thought she could use a friend." I shrugged my shoulders and climbed into my car as Rose climbed into the passenger side.

"There have been other new students since you, and you never befriended any of them."

"Why do you care?" I asked, cutting through the bullshit.

"Because I worry about you, Edward, you know that."

"Well, stop. I'm fine, Rose, so give it a rest already." I opted not to tell her about the thoughts going through my head about what I wanted to do to James for hurting my beautiful girl.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. I didn't even turn on the radio to make it more bearable. I just wanted to think about the gorgeous new girl and how simply being near her made me feel alive for the first time in years. I wanted to hang onto this feeling for as long as possible. Certainly that wasn't too much to ask. I deserved one good day, didn't I?

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> SM created these lovely characters, I claim no right to them whatsoever...

**A/N:** You're still here? Wow! Thank you :-) I appreciate each and every one of you! We still have at least 2 more outtakes from E's pov and 1 futuretake from B...Are there any specific scenes you'd like to see included? Let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Writtenbyabdex rocks! She's cooler than Bon Jovi was back in 1989! I swear it's true.

Thank you!

~SP


	60. Outtake 3

**-3- Totally Worth It**

Nearly every time I'd seen my girl over the first week of school, Newton had been right by her side. Mike was becoming a nuisance, one that needed to be contained. He'd even approached me and tried to threaten me to stay away from Bella. I had almost punched him for that one. Luckily, I got myself under control before I did anything too stupid. I was able to fire a couple of zingers his way, though. That was a plus.

I'd kind of been disappointed when mine and Bella's name game ended way too soon. I'd known her name for years, ever since I first met Chief Swan, but I enjoyed how her little face would light up each time she said my name, as if every chance to rub my face in her knowledge was some sort of small victory. Plus, I just liked the sound of her saying my name. It did things to me that I couldn't even begin to describe.

After my disastrous attempt to pick her up for school, I failed her again when I screwed up our date. I'd had the best evening planned, but of course, nothing worked out how I'd wanted. Carlisle had straight up told me I should make an effort to get to know her, but I still felt ridiculous showing up at her home early that morning only to be turned away. I could already tell my girl was fiercely independent, though, so I tried not to take her refusal personally. I did feel like a jerk when I hid behind my cocky attitude. It was a coping mechanism I knew all too well.

Her unwillingness to let me take her to school was just the beginning of my horrific day. I'd fooled myself into thinking things would get better when I realized we had first period together. She even seemed a bit jealous when she mentioned Rose. That just about made up for her rudeness. She would be a tough shell to crack, of that I had no doubt. The challenge appealed to me way more than it probably should have. Then lunch rolled around and I got to see firsthand how much me being close to her affected my beautiful girl. I leaned in to whisper in her ear and delighted in her reaction. The goose bumps that pebbled her soft skin begged to be touched, and I couldn't resist doing just that.

I knew how people saw me. Those that weren't scared shitless were cautiously intrigued. The girls stared at me, trying to hide their drool behind facades of indifference. It was my armor, storming around the school as if I were ten feet tall and bulletproof. For the first times in years, I actually felt like I might really be just that. My beautiful girl's blushes and forced indifference gave me the confidence I had been only faking before. How she could cause such strange responses in me, I would likely never know, but I was okay with that. I was too happy, for the first time in forever, to give a shit about the hows or whys. It just was, and I was going to ride it out for as long as possible.

I couldn't help smiling after I'd weaseled my way into their beach trip. Mike was still pretty shaken up after our encounter earlier in the week, so he hadn't even tried to protest when I told him I was coming along. Ben and I were actually decent friends, so I knew he and Angela wouldn't mind riding with me. Only my beautiful girl had an issue with it.

That was about the time my day went to shit. Gorgeous lectured me almost non-stop throughout Biology. She had ample opportunity since it was a day we were working on a lab assignment in pairs. Then I walked out of my last class to find I had a flat tire. When I went to put on the spare tire, I realized it, too, was flat. I looked around the vacant parking lot and sighed. The one day Rose didn't ride with me, I could have used her help. She would have figured out a way to make one of the tires drivable, at least well enough to get us to the nearby gas station. Showing up to Bella's house late and in a foul mood certainly didn't help matters. I couldn't even think about the rest of the things that led to me letting down my beautiful girl…again.

The only thing that could bring a smile to my face was her attire. She opened the door all fiery tiger, wearing the funniest pair of pajama bottoms. They had pink flamingos all over the black background. Plus, they hung low on her hips, which was an added bonus. She clearly wasn't amused by my response, however, so I decided to change tactics. Despite my shitty day, I was determined to have some quality time with my gorgeous girl. So, I opted to say as little as possible and tried not to overstay my welcome. Luckily, she didn't push me for an explanation for either my poor attitude or my over an hour late arrival.

I sat silently as she picked out the movies we watched. I didn't complain when she chose a chick-flick. When the second movie ended, I bid her ado and headed home with the knowledge that I would get to see her again the next morning making me feel a bit lighter. I was much calmer after getting to spend several hours in her presence.

That Saturday was a mixture of bliss and torture. I was surprised it took my beautiful girl so long to figure out my devious scheme to get more alone time with her. The look on Bella's face when she realized I'd purposely gone the longest route possible to pick up the others was priceless. Yeah, I'd gone to her house first, and then taken roundabout ways to Angela's then Ben's in order to stretch out my time with her in my car. Having her sitting next to me was so worth any potential retribution. I could practically feel the warmth of her blush, and it intoxicated me. Not even those ogres in La Push could knock me down from this high.

Then her "oldest and dearest friend" Jake had to show up and pour a cold bucket of water all over my fun. Despite her pain, watching my girl punch that jackass was the highlight of my day. He certainly deserved it for making fun of her. For such a great friend, he sure was being a jerk. It ended up prolonging my time with gorgeous, though. Plus, it gave me a chance to kick his annoying ass. I'd take Carlisle's obvious disdain over my actions any day if it meant I got to be closer to my beautiful girl. He thought my instant devotion was unhealthy, but I couldn't see it as anything other than right, meant to be. Besides, he wasn't aware of how I'd been pining over her since we first moved to Forks. He had no idea how much she meant to me or that my feelings had been building up over time only to grow even stronger upon meeting my gorgeous girl. Corny, maybe, but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. No fucking way.

When Carlisle called me into his office a day later, I had a sinking feeling I knew what he wanted to talk about. He rarely asked me to join him in there, and when he did, it was usually to discuss things I didn't want to hear. The last time was after I'd gotten into a fight with that asshole, Paul, in La Push. The guy had been talking trash about Rose, and then he'd started throwing out slurs about my mom. There was no way he could have known the true impact of his taunting, but that didn't stop my anger from bubbling out of control.

Carlisle had told me I was lucky I hadn't turned eighteen yet. I probably would have ended up in jail if I had been. I was pretty sure Chief Swan had intervened on my behalf after I told him what triggered me to attack the behemoth. I still couldn't believe I'd been able to do so much damage to a guy at least twice my size. Anger was a powerful weapon, I supposed.

I'd been surprised that his friends hadn't jumped me the moment they saw me on the beach the day before. I was pretty sure the Chief had something to do with that too. He probably told them to leave me be. He'd been very welcoming when we'd moved into town, going so far as to let me know I could come to him if I needed anything. I'd liked him immediately, and I'd admired the pictures he had up of his daughter as well. It was almost embarrassing how many times I came up with excuses to go over there after that first time. I was hooked on my brown-eyed girl long before I'd ever met her. Getting the chance to actually get to know her was so much better than I ever dreamed it would be.

"Have you thought any more about telling Bella about your parents' deaths?" Carlisle's eyes gave away how hesitant he was about broaching this subject. I felt bad that he thought he couldn't talk to me about these things. He, of all people, had every right to talk about them.

"I have, yes, I just don't know how to start that conversation, you know?"

"I can see how that would be difficult, but you seem to really care about her, and I'm worried about how she'll handle your behavior should it get to be too much for her. I know you've come a long way, but reading that police report has done a number on you. I can tell. Maybe you should consider seeing a counselor again, Edward. It's helped in the past."

"I'm fine," I gritted out, trying not to get mad when I knew he was just looking out for me.

"You've said that before. Last time I ended up having to go pick you up from the police department. The time before that, I had to physically separate you from Emmett. What if you lash out and Bella is hurt in the process?"

"I wouldn't hurt her. Ever. Plus, you're the one who encouraged me to get to know her, remember? You thought she would be good for me."

"I still think that, as long as you take care of you first. Edward, just think about it, okay? That's all I ask."

"Whatever, I will."

He was right, of course. He always was. I just didn't want to admit that to myself or him. It had only been three months since I was given those damn police reports, since I learned my dad had been alive and was forced to watch what that bastard had done to my mom. He probably had even seen me try to help her. I couldn't even imagine how helpless he'd felt. Life in prison wasn't punishment enough for the bastard who'd taken my family away from me. What was worse was there were no answers as to why. Maybe if I at least knew why that man had singled out my family to torture in such a way, I could find closure. But he refused to talk. Even though he'd ended up confessing to killing my parents, he never said _why_. It kept me up at night. It triggered nightmares on a regular basis. Bella was like a balm that soothed my wounds. Deep down I knew that probably wasn't exactly healthy, but I was too selfish to give up the way she made me feel.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I claim no ownership to SM's creations...

**A/N:** Since I didn't have this one finished in time to post last week, I decided not to break it in half but rather give you the whole thing at once. I hope that's okay with everyone :-)

Writtenbyabdex is a wonderful devil's advocate and helped me through this one when it wasn't cooperating at all. She's the bestest!

Thanks everyone for reading, reviewing and being awesome.

I still have a few more outtakes up my sleeve and one futuretake that I'm working on...make sure to let me know if there's anything you would like to see from E's POV or included in their future, and I'll see what I can do!

Much love,

~SP


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